Fall & Rise
by CaraNo
Summary: A new town, a new life, too many secrets. The McCarty siblings struggle to hide a past they can barely remember but that has left great scars. When someone gets too close, Emmett and Bella back off. What they didn't count on was that Edward, Alice, Rose, and Jasper refused to give up. And what Edward didn't count on was that he'd fall in love twice. Repost of my first fic. HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

**Story Bashing: This is a reposting of my first story—_Fall & Rise_. I will post 1-2 chapters a week, beta'd by HollettLA and pre-read by Kitty :)**

**For me to really like this story, I'd probably have to rewrite all of it, which I have no desire to do haha. But since sooo many have asked me to post it again, I caved and stuck to minor changes. Actually, I wouldn't call them minor. With Lisa's help, I've corrected the grammar fuck-ups, and I've also changed timelines, some events, and a _massive_ amount of details. But with that said, the plot it basically the same.**

**As obsessed as I with accuracy and credibility, it kinda pains me to have to tell you that this story is loaded with "creative liberties" *cringes.* Okay, not loaded, but there are a few. **

**Fuck, I'm really sitting here talking shit about my own story. *crosses off 'motivational speaker' from list of possible jobs* **

**Positive things… I have a soft spot for this Edward, and I remember many thinking the same :) There. Good enough? **

**As long as your expectations aren't super high, by all means…read.**

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**Fall & Rise**

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Chapter 1

**BPOV**

"Okay, that's everything."

"Thanks, Em. You're the best."

"Ha! Tell me something I don't know."

"All right, funny guy. I'm going to bed."

"Night, sis."

"Goodnight."

I closed the door behind me and turned around to take a deep breath in my new bedroom. My life was finally starting. New town, new life.

_And to think I'm only sixteen._

Well, for another few weeks.

My bedroom was big and completely white. A four-poster bed in the middle of the room, white sheers hanging down, a massive amount of pillows. All white. White-painted nightstand, walls, bed frame, linen, drapes by the window…and a white crib in the corner, next to my nightstand. The only thing that wasn't white was the oak hardwood floor. I loved it. It felt luxurious, my room. I even had an ensuite bathroom.

The wall next to the door was filled with black and white photos of Haley. There were some with just her feet, her hands, her little baby butt, her big eyes that were already turning brown…

After checking on my sleeping baby girl, I walked into the bathroom to brush my teeth and get ready for bed.

*o*o*o*

When I woke up the next morning I was oddly well-rested. Too rested.

_Haley!_

I jumped out of the bed and made my way to the crib. No Haley…but a note.

_The best person in the world took me downstairs_

_Oh, Emmett._

I put on a pair of army green khaki shorts and a black t-shirt, and then I headed down. I had to say, I loved our new condo. The upstairs belonged to me, and Emmett occupied the downstairs—aside from living room and kitchen, obviously. Oh, and the laundry room. We shared that. But upstairs, I had my bedroom and my…hobby room, of sorts. It would be Haley's room when she got a little older. For now, though, it was my little studio where I kept my photo equipment. I was crazy in love with photography.

Thanks to what our parents left us, we knew we'd live comfortably for several years.

Following the sound of Emmett's laughter, I ended up in the living room.

"Hey there, baby snatcher." I grinned at my brother.

They were both on the floor, and Emmett was dangling a toy over Haley's head, which made her giggle adorably.

It was hard to believe she was already five months old.

"Good morning to you, too." Emmett sat up, bringing Haley with him. "Before you get worked up, I've already fed her, and she doesn't smell like shit anymore."

I laughed and sat down on the couch. I knew he had his own baby monitor in his room—just in case I didn't wake up. But I had a feeling Emmett snatched her way earlier than that and then took care of her nighttime feeding _and_ breakfast.

"What did you give her?" I asked, making funny faces at Haley. She squealed and held out her arms. "Aww. You're so cute, aren't ya? Yeah, you are."

"Around three, I heated up some boob milk ice cubes for her," Emmett responded.

I chuckled. "It's called breast milk, Em."

"Uh-huh, whatever. And then for breakfast, I gave her that disgusting oatmeal."

"She loves it," I said with a shrug. It was actually the only solid food she did love—that, and mashed potatoes. I was slowly but surely introducing her to solid foods since my breasts hurt too much. Hell, I could barely touch them at some points without breaking down in tears. "I should probably feed her again before Marie gets here." I checked the clock above the flat screen and saw that our aunt would be here in half an hour.

Since Emmett and I were so young, Aunt Marie wasn't too fond of the idea of us living alone with Haley, but we managed to talk her into it when we found a condo literally a three-minute drive from her house here in Port Angeles. She could come and go as she pleased, and we'd see her every day. Thankfully, though, she understood that Emmett and I needed this privacy to hold our now-tiny family together.

Blowing out a breath, I checked the time again, anxiousness seeping in.

So far, I'd barely left Haley alone with Marie or Emmett for more than an hour or two. To some, it might sound ridiculous, but after the past Emmett and I shared, Haley was basically the air I breathed. She kept me sane. Around her, I was happy.

But today…

Aunt Marie was going to watch Haley at her house for a terrifying seven hours or so, and we wouldn't see them again until dinner. Thankfully, Marie's place was as baby-proofed as our condo.

It was a big day; we had a meeting with Principal Banner at Forks High—our new school come September.

It was due to our "special arrangement" that we needed to meet with the principal before we started in two weeks.

We had a story to tell.

From the outside, we were two regular teenagers, two siblings, new in town, Emmett as a senior and me as a junior, but there was so much more than that. And there were many things we wanted to keep private, hence the helluva commute we'd face every day, living in Port Angeles but going to school in Forks. But it was the price we'd pay for wanting so much distance between us and our school.

Emmett was starting his senior year, going to school like all the other seniors, but I was going to take a few classes from home until Haley was a little older. Granted, I could put her in day care right now, but I wasn't emotionally ready to be apart from her for several hours every day. I needed to ease into this, starting with a couple hours at Forks High every other day or so—it was dependant on my schedule, really—and then I'd have the rest of my time to spend here in Port Angeles with Haley. I also had two sessions a week with my new therapist.

Tonight was also big. We would meet Esme Cullen for the first time—Aunt Marie's friend from college. The two, both art majors, were opening a gallery together in Seattle. Whereas my aunt was a free-spirited artist, Mrs. Cullen loved other aspects involving art, such as running a gallery, booking artists, organizing exhibits, and so on.

Mrs. Cullen was the reason we picked Washington when Arizona became too much. Aunt Marie told us about her college friend, with whom she'd recently gotten back in touch, and that the two wanted to pursue their old dream of running a gallery together. And since Emmett and I hardly had any preference about where we ended up, we came here.

Aunt Marie had only told Mrs. Cullen that her niece and nephew had lost their parents, and that she was now our guardian. But tonight we were going to tell Mrs. Cullen the story we wanted to be ours. There was no way Emmett and I wanted anyone to know the truth. However, since Mrs. Cullen evidently had two children who went to Forks High, too, we needed to tell her _something_. Because it was more than likely that we'd meet her kids in school. Had she not had children there, maybe we would've gone with the truth—or at least a watered-down version of it, but we refused to have any version of the truth spill out at our new school, so…

*o*o*o*

When the doorbell rang, I was just finishing burping Haley.

"Is it really time?" I asked, chewing on my lip.

My brother knew I was nervous. "Relax, sis. We'll be back before you know it." He opened the door for Aunt Marie.

"Hey, guys! How are you? You all settling in?" She gave us all hugs, lingering a little with Haley just because my baby girl was _that_ frickin' cute.

Emmett grinned. "Yep, everything's good."

"And you, honey? Everything's okay?" She looked so concerned for me, a spitting image of her sister, otherwise known as my mom. "You know you're more than welcome to stay with me, right?"

I smiled a small one. "I'm fine. Just anxious to be away for so long." I nuzzled in the crook of Haley's neck where she smelled like baby and fabric softener. "Mama's gonna miss you," I whispered.

A few moments later, Emmett had to drag me out to our cars. Since we wouldn't have the same hours at school, we needed two. Em had bought a monster of a Jeep, and I had my Mini Cooper, which I adored. But today we were going in one car—the Jeep, 'cause my brother was too big for my cutie.

"Do you have all the papers?" Aunt Marie hollered from the steps. Emmett confirmed that we did. "Good. Tell Principal Banner he can call if there's anything he'd like to know, though I doubt that will happen. He was very understanding when I met with him last week."

I knew that, and it had relieved me. The last thing we needed now were rough waters to cross. Some smooth sailing was welcomed.

Once we were both buckled in, Emmett peeled out of the driveway, a smile on his face. He needed this. We both did, but I wasn't as eager to "be a kid" like my brother was.

After _that_ horrible night in Phoenix, more than a year ago, Emmett and I had grown up. We weren't as carefree anymore, and our priorities had changed drastically.

But seeing Emmett now, as he drove us toward our new school, it was easy to see that he was desperate for a sense of normalcy again. Obviously, I understood that.

"Stop bouncing your knee and check the glove box," he told me as we drove out of Port Angeles.

Confused, I did as told and opened the glove box, only to see that my thoughtful brother had brought my beloved Nikon.

"I love you." I just had to say it. "Thank you."

Taking pictures relaxed me, and right now I needed to calm down.

"Any time, baby sis."

I had started a photo book with just Emmett in it, so I picked up my camera and looked forward to snapping some shots where Emmett didn't make funny faces. He only looked serious when he was driving or when bad stuff happened. And hopefully, we had suffered through all the shit we were going to in our lives.

"So, we're going with the sister story, then?"

"Yep," I answered.

I laughed as I saw the display on the camera. The photo of Emmett was perfect. Serious and firm…but he had his tongue out like he was concentrating hard.

"Are you done with the pictures so I can relax? A model's gotta rest, you know," he chuckled.

I shook my head in amusement and put my camera back in the bag.

When we passed the "Welcome to Forks" sign a while later, I became even more nervous. This was really happening. We were going back to school.

After everything went down in Phoenix, Emmett and I were homeschooled, so even if Forks High only had a few hundred students—a far cry from our old school in Scottsdale—this was still intimidating to me. Luckily, it was only the end of July, meaning I had a couple weeks to get used to the idea of going to school again.

"This is it," Em muttered as we drove in to the school parking lot.

"Yeah," I sighed.

The parking lot was empty except for two cars. A yellow Porsche and a silver Volvo.

Emmett parked a few spaces over and killed the engine. We both took a few deep breaths. This was huge for both of us.

_Deep breaths. You can do this, Bella._

"This car is a monster," I mumbled and jumped out.

The car two spots over beeped and blinked twice; someone had unlocked it. My head snapped up, and I saw two guys and one girl walking our way. Emmett locked his Jeep, and like the protector he had become over the past year, he put his arm around me and started walking in their direction—well, the school's entrance's direction. I punched him playfully and giggled, though I was internally thankful for his protectiveness.

One of the guys, now about thirty feet from me, looked up as I did, and I had to look down immediately. He was gorgeous. Seriously, the man looked like a god.

Emmett looked down at me, a curious expression on his face that I saw in my periphery. "You okay?"

I nodded and pretended to look though my bag as the three strangers passed us.

We made our way to the small administration building, and before we knew it, we were sitting in the principal's office.

After greetings and small talk, we got down to business.

"So, Ms. McCarty. Tell me why you've chosen to take several classes from home. I see your guardian have signed all the papers."

This was it. Emmett squeezed my hand, and I began.

"Um, we lost our parents about six months ago." Okay, that was a lie, but I couldn't exactly say it was more than a year ago, 'cause then it wouldn't match with Haley's age. "It left Emmett and me to take care of our…baby sister." That felt foul. I wanted to shout out that she was my daughter—not my fucking sister—but that would've raised a helluva lot more questions. Questions we didn't want to answer. "Our guardian, our aunt Marie, let me decide if I felt ready to return to school now or stay home another semester with Haley—our sister. And, um, I'm not ready to be away from her yet."

Principal Banner gave us a smile in concern. "I'm so sorry for your loss, and of course we will try to make this as easy as possible for you two."

Both Emmett and I breathed out in relief, and the rest of the meeting was easy to push through.

Emmett wanted to try out for the football team; he'd been a fierce linebacker in Phoenix, so he was excited to hear that he could try out even though training season had already begun.

In the end, it was decided that the only two classes I'd take at school would be home economics and biology, both courses too practical to take from home.

Aside from those classes, I'd obviously be in school for tests.

*o*o*o*

"That was easier than I thought."

"Yeah, it really was," I agreed.

Emmett started the car, and I placed all the papers for Aunt Marie to sign in my bag. I thought all the paperwork was done, but I was wrong.

"How about lunch, sis? I'm starving. There has to be a diner or something around here."

"Um…"

_Haley, Haley, Haley!_

He gave me a sideways glance. "Bella, seriously, we'll be home soon enough. You need to relax."

"Fine." I rolled my eyes.

Ten minutes later, we ended up at a diner called The Lodge. We sure had left Phoenix.

Emmett opened the door for me, and we were both hit by the smell of fried stuff.

"It must be your lucky day." I grinned.

"Hell, yeah. There's a booth there in the corner." He pointed.

The goof put his arm around me again only to ruffle my hair.

"Em!" I whined. "You're in a good mood today. It's annoying."

"Yeah well, life is good. We're good. I have a good feeling about this place."

As we slid into the booth, I thought about Emmett's words and had to admit he was right.

I nodded. "Things are picking up."

I smiled genuinely, something that felt nice.

As soon as we'd placed our orders with the waitress, the drinks quickly followed, and then Emmett announced that he had to go to the bathroom. In the meantime, I sipped my Cherry Coke and looked around a little.

That was when I noticed the short-haired girl from the school parking lot. She and the blond boy were playing pool. Did that mean that my wet dream was here, too?

Taking another sip from my soda, I craned my neck to see if he was here as well, because fuck, I wanted him to be.

_Oh, shit!_

Yep, he was here…at the bar…staring at me. _Hot damn_. His gaze didn't drop as I caught him, and this time I held mine. He was beautiful and had these sexy eyes—they looked green, but I couldn't be too sure. He was pretty far away, after all. And then he nodded toward me and gave me a hot-as-hell grin.

Unfortunately, my view was suddenly blocked. By my brother.

"You're back," I muttered, my mood deflating.

Sitting down again, Emmett noticed the other guy—who was still staring, by the way.

"That dude needs to find something else to rest his eyes on before my foot meets his face."

"You wouldn't dare!" I said, cracking up a little. It was just so Emmett to always be in my business. "His face is too hot to be kicked."

That earned me nothin' good. Throwing his arm around me, he used his free hand to tickle my sides.

*o*o*o*

When we came back home, we showered and got ready for dinner at Aunt Marie's. Skipping the summer clothes for the evening, I decided on a pair of black jeans and one of Emmett's old football t-shirts that I tied at the hip due to its massive size. I couldn't wait to see him play football again. To see him run out on the field with "McCarty" on the back…

Dad and I had never missed a game.

For once, I was ready before Emmett, so I ended up at the kitchen table and pretty quickly got lost in my thoughts.

"_Daddy, we're gonna be late!"_

_Ugh, how damn slow can a guy be?_

_If the game starts at seven, it starts at seven!_

"_Take it easy, princess," Dad chuckles._

_There are people everywhere, and it's freaking awesome that so many come to cheer on my goof of a brother. But hey, he is the best player on the team._

"_Do you have the camera?" I ask him._

"_Yes, Bella, I have the camera. Just like when you asked me ten minutes ago."_

_I huff and give him the stink-eye. "Well, excuse me for caring."_

_After a million years, we're finally seated on the bleachers, and we hear the roar. Whistling, howling, yelling, and cheering. _

_Our team runs out on the field, and it's a rush. The spotlights, the crowd, the Friday night feeling, Dad cheering next to me with the camera ready…_

"_Dad, the lens cover!" I groan loudly and reach to remove it._

_He's such a spaz!_

_Smiling sheepishly, he drops a kiss on the top of my head. "What would I do without you, huh?"_

_I smile so wide._

God, I missed him.

He was the police chief who scared the boys to death. One time, he actually chased my boyfriend down the street with his gun in hand. Dad had caught him trying to sneak into my room through my window. After that night, I was forced to trade rooms with Emmett, who lived upstairs.

"Lookin' sharp, McCarty." Emmett voice brought me back to the present. When he saw my face, he frowned. "What's up?"

I smiled, eyes welling up a little. "Just thinking about Dad and how we always went to your games."

He didn't say anything in return, but the grief in his eyes spoke volumes.

*o*o*o*

When we pulled up at Aunt Marie's house, I was bouncing with excitement to see my girl again. Not that Emmett would admit it, but he was anxious to see her, too.

I pulled my hair into a ponytail since Haley loved to tug on it.

That hurt like nothing else. My daughter was strong, lemme tell ya.

After ringing the doorbell once, Emmett opened the door.

Marie came running with a smile and my little one in her arms.

"Haley baby!" I reached out for her, and my aunt knew better than to deny me. As soon as I had her in my arms, everything was good in the world. "Mama missed you so much today. Yes, I did. My little cutie pie."

She giggled and grabbed my face.

"She just woke up so she might be hungry," Marie chuckled.

"Okay." I grinned and kissed her cheek. "Thank you for watching her—everything go okay today?"

"You know it did, honey. Come on—go into the living room and relax a little. Esme should be here any minute. I'm gonna check on dinner."

We left the hallway and I walked into the massive and very open living room while Emmett prepared a bottle for Haley.

"Look at you, baby." Sitting down on the couch, Haley babbled in her own little language, but what I focused on was the fact that she could sit on her own. My hand was behind her back, but it didn't touch her. "You're so amazing, you know that?"

Emmett was right; this place was good for us. Getting out of Phoenix, period, was good for us.

I was rubbing my nose with Haley's when a flash went off, causing my head to snap up. I found a smiling Emmett standing a few feet away with my camera.

"You're not the only one with skills, you know." He winked.

I smiled at him and reached for the bottle he was holding. He sat down next to me, put his arm around my shoulder, and just watched us as I fed Haley.

"My two princesses."

"Would that make you the king?" I teased.

"Of course."

"I can't argue with you on that, Em."

Moments like these meant the world to us.

The doorbell rang a minute later, though, which burst our bubble. It was game time. Emmett took Haley to get her burped, and I joined Marie in the hallway.

"Marie! It's so good to see you!"

"You too, Esme!"

I stood a few feet away while they hugged like they hadn't seen each other in years instead of weeks. Mrs. Cullen was a beautiful woman. Around my height, with a heart-shaped face, beautiful green eyes, and light brown hair that went to her chest. Her smile was warm.

"Esme, this is my niece—Bella. Bella, this is Esme."

Before I could offer her my hand, she rushed over and gave me a big hug.

"So nice to finally meet you, Bella."

I chuckled, a little surprised. "You too, Mrs. Cullen." I patted her back.

"Oh, none of that. Esme's just fine."

I smiled and nodded in return.

"Okay, time to meet the other two!" Marie clapped her hands together.

Back in the living room, Emmett had a game on in the background, Haley on his lap and happily playing with a teething ring. And it was thanks to her being on Em's lap that Esme couldn't hug him, but she greeted him just as warmly anyway. I kinda liked her already.

Next up was Haley.

"And who is this little darling?" Esme cooed.

_My daughter_, I wanted to scream.

Instead, I folded my arms over my chest and let Aunt Marie run the show.

It was best this way.

One day, Mrs. Culle—Esme…might learn the truth, but it wasn't today. No one was ready for that, least of all me.

"That is our little Haley. Bella and Emmett's baby sister."

There was a look of concern in Esme's eyes. The warm smile was still there, but her eyes were welling up. This was our cue to leave.

"Em, can you help me in the kitchen?" I asked.

He nodded, got up, and left Haley with Marie. On the way to the kitchen, he also threw the towel he'd had over his shoulder in the laundry.

We didn't really have any business in the kitchen, but Aunt Marie was telling our story to Esme, and we felt it would be easier if we weren't there.

It was basically the same lie we'd told Principal Banner, only with a few more details, both true and false.

A false tidbit was that Emmett, Haley, and I had been visiting with Aunt Marie the night our parents were murdered. Another one was the timing of when it happened. Once again, we couldn't say that they died over a year ago since Haley was supposed to be our sister.

Sitting silently by the kitchen counter, Emmett and I listened in on the conversation in the living room.

"_Oh, that is awful! Poor souls."_

"_Yeah…" _Aunt Marie sighed heavily_. "It's been a hard time for them. The change of scenery has been welcoming for us all, though. I think it will get better here."_

"_I can't even imagine the suffering they must be going through. And this adorable child…she's so beautiful. She looks just like Bella and Emmett."_

Emmett and I both looked up at each other and smiled.

If it weren't for Haley, we would still have nothing.

*o*o*o*

When we all sat down for dinner, I was first afraid the tension would be too thick, but I was immediately relieved when Esme and Aunt Marie dove into another talk about their gallery opening next month.

We left Phoenix a couple weeks ago and lived with our aunt before our condo was ready, but before we left Arizona, she traveled up here a few times to see Esme. First, there was finding a space for the gallery, then signing all paperwork, hiring a small staff…ugh, the list went on and on.

"Bella, Marie told me that you love photography?"

I set down my glass of Sprite, not having expected to be in the spotlight. It made me wish I had Haley here; she always made me feel more at ease. But she'd fallen asleep. "Um, yes, I do." I nodded. "It's been a hobby since I was little. It's relaxing."

It was actually Aunt Marie who'd given me my first camera—I was twelve.

"Too bad Forks High doesn't have any good art classes." Esme looked like she'd tasted something foul—perhaps my new school's curriculum. "Such a shame, really, but these days most favor science and math." She scrunched her nose, and I cracked a grin. "Are you starting your junior year this fall?"

I chewed and swallowed a piece of chicken before answering. "I am, but I'll only attend a couple classes in Forks. Um, I'm not really ready for more at the moment…" I trailed off, not really knowing what else to say. I wasn't really comfortable talking about it. "Maybe after Christmas. Emmett's starting his senior year now."

_The stage is yours, bro!_

"Oh, senior year!" Esme faced Aunt Marie. "They grow up so fast, don't they?" My aunt chuckled. "My son and daughter still have a year left until their senior year—" She grinned at me then. "They'll be juniors like you, Bella. But I can just feel them disappearing already. Hopefully they won't move across the country for college." Esme shook her head like she didn't want to think about that. "So, Emmett. I noticed your sister's oversized t-shirt. You don't happen to be a football player?"

Emmett grinned in return and gladly jumped in since the conversation turned to the topic of sports.

"Yeah, she likes to steal my shirts," he laughed. "And yes, I play football. I'll be there to try out before Hell Week."

Esme beamed. "Then I'm sure you will meet my son there. Edward—Jesus, he's obsessed with football. He's a running back, but I'm guessing you're not."

No, it was pretty obvious by my brother's form that he was a linebacker.

He was also a fucking great one. Back in Phoenix, he was the youngest player on the varsity team. The rest of the guys in his year were on the junior varsity. Not that we'd have that issue up here; Forks was so small that there was only one team.

"Nah, I'm there to fend off the enemies," he laughed.

The night continued with us getting to know each other. Esme and Marie emptied almost two bottles of wine, we ate dessert, and we talked more about art and their gallery in Seattle. It was a really nice evening, and I adored Esme. She was like fresh air that we desperately needed. We learned about her children, Edward and Ali—twins in my age. Ali was, according to Esme, a clown. She loved theater and was the president of the drama club, and she also loved makeup and costumes. Edward…well, he sounded like a regular jock. Emmett would no doubt love him.

It was close to midnight when we wrapped up. Esme called for someone to pick her up, and Emmett and I packed our stuff and loaded a sleeping Haley into the monster Jeep.

We left before Esme so that Aunt Marie, at my request, could ask Esme not to tell her children our story. We needed our privacy, and if we were going to the same school as Edward and Ali, we couldn't risk any rumors being spread.

* * *

**If you have any questions, check the A/N at the top first ;)**

**I reckon there will be another chapter this weekend or sumfin'.**

**/Cara.**


	2. Chapter 2

Beta'd by Lisa and pre-read by Kitty :)

Glad to see so many joining, btw. Thank you for your response!

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Chapter 2

**EPOV**

I went to bed feeling pissed.

I woke up feeling pissed.

The summer might be fun at times, but man, I missed the game. The first few weeks of summer break were mostly spent partying and just chilling with friends, then we had one week in Chicago visiting Dad's family, and then the two first weeks of July we went to Mexico, but after that…it was a fucking drag.

The peak of my day today would be a meeting with the principal where Coach had dropped off the schedule for Hell Week, and then maybe we'd go to the diner and shoot some pool.

_Fun times._

I liked living in Forks; it was just that nothing happened anymore.

I pretty much sulked my way out to my car, revved the engine a few times, and then pressed hard on the gas.

As I later pulled in to the parking lot at school, Jazz stood there with Alice. My guess was that his truck had broken down again, 'cause it was my sister's Porsche I parked next to, and Jasper hated that thing.

"What's up, dude?" Jasper asked as I got out of the car.

"That's the problem, Jazz. Nothing's up," I chuckled without humor. Then I turned to Alice and smirked. "I was wondering why the house was all quiet this morning. But now I understand—you weren't there."

That earned me a punch in the gut. "Shut up, Cullen," she spat out.

"Witch," I coughed.

Jasper lazily draped an arm around Alice as we walked, and she tried to look unaffected. They'd just started dating each other before the summer…after years of playing hard to get. It was ridiculous.

We walked the hundred feet in silence.

_Fuck, this is getting old._

The meeting went as expected. Jazz and I got the schedule for our double sessions coming up, and Banner wished us a good start to our season.

"Wanna shoot some pool now—or should we wait for Rose?" Alice asked as we left the principal's office.

I shoved my hands in my pockets and shrugged. "Nothing else to do around here. Give her a call and see if she can come over."

We were about sixty feet from our cars when I noticed a massive dude and a chick standing by a green Jeep. They were new here, and she, the chick, was totally fucking hot. Pushing the key fob to unlock my car, the girl's head snapped up.

_Holy fuck._

Her gaze dropped immediately but not before I caught a glance at her face. Then the dude had to ruin it all by placing his arm around her. Whatta shame.

It was one hell of a glare he gave me as he passed us.

_Possessive, much?_

I looked back as I reached my car, which was when I noticed her perfect ass. It looked too good to be true in those shorts.

I groaned internally.

Too bad the dude was there.

"Newcomers?" Jasper asked.

"No idea." Alice shrugged. "Meet up at the diner?"

I nodded and got back in my car.

*o*o*o*

As Jasper and I played, Alice did her part by talking without breathing.

She tended to do that when she was all hopped up on Red Bull.

"So, I talked to Rose. She'll be here in a few hours. She's helping Jessica with some shit. I know what you're thinking. Why would Rose help Jessica, right? I mean, Rose hates her guts. But apparently their moms are friends, so she had no choice. Anyway, she'll be here later. So, how about tomorrow? A party? We need that, guys. I can plan the whole thing—invite people over. Jazz, you have your fake ID, right? We need a lot of stuff, but I'll give you a list. Oh—and, Edward, you know that you and I have to cook tonight, right? Mom's having dinner with that Marie woman she's opening the gallery with. And she's meeting her family, too. They live in Port Angeles, by the way." Jasper and I exchanged a look at Alice's expense. Not that she noticed. "Oooh! We should definitely go shopping soon. I have so many ideas for drama club—costumes, costumes, costumes! Plus, I need some new clothes before school starts. We could make a day of it, guys. Shopping, getting dinner, maybe a movie? I'll talk to Rose about it. Oh, and speaking of Jessica earlier—Edward, she still wants you to call her. She thought you hit it off. I know, she's fucking crazy, right?" I smirked, sinking two balls in the same fucking turn, which made Jasper scowl. "I mean, she's been after you for two years—when's she gonna learn? I think I want a Coke now. Anyone want anything?"

_Yeah, that's my sister, ladies and gentlemen._

Our first game was almost over.

"How long was it this time?" Jazz laughed.

I grinned. "I don't know, but she didn't beat the Infinity Talk of '09. Two fucking hours nonstop. That night will forever haunt me. Ali, don't ever drink Red Bull and vodka again. I'm _begging_ you." I clasped my hands together like I was praying.

She glared at me as Jasper ended our first game.

_Fuck._

"Drinks are on Cullen, babe." Jasper smirked.

I shrugged and went over to the bar, ordered three sodas and some chili fries.

As if I needed more torturing on this hellish day, the door to the diner opened, and in walked the dude and the chick.

_Damn, those legs…that body! Baby, can't you just lose King Kong and pick me instead?_

The drinks arrived right away, but the fries were gonna be a few minutes, and that was very fine by me. So, while I waited, I continued to eye-fuck the girl. Her hair cascaded down her shoulders, and I wanted nothing more than to run my fingers through it.

_That_ was a joke.

What I really wanted to do was bend her over the table, and…you get the idea.

After they had placed their orders, King Kong left the table and headed for the bathrooms. It gave the hot chick an opportunity to take in her surroundings, which she did, and I waited, waited, waited…'til her eyes finally found me.

Jesus Christ, she was fucking beautiful.

_Give her your smile, you jerk!_

I nodded to myself and gave her my signature grin. But before I knew it, the guy was back—blocking my view.

_Rude._

Sliding into the booth again, King Kong noticed my unwavering stare and leaned in to whisper something in the girl's ear. In return, the chick playfully punched the dude before they got silly with each other and started laughing.

I instantly felt mortified and annoyed, thinking they were laughing at _me_.

_Fuck this day._

*o*o*o*

By eleven thirty that night, I was about to rip my hair out only to have something to do. I had tried everything. The piano was waiting to be played, but I had no inspiration; I ate just to pass time, I ran ten fucking miles on the treadmill…

My savior was Mom, who'd apparently had one too many drinks tonight and needed me to pick her up. This little outing had me giddy with excitement.

_My middle name is Lame._

I entered Port Angeles past midnight, and my jaw pretty much dropped as I saw my goddess again just as she was walking up the steps to a small apartment building.

Did she live here?

And then I saw her clothes. That King Kong-sized t-shirt…with "McCarty" on the back. The dude must be her boyfriend or something. Why else would someone wear a guy's t-shirt?

_Fuck._

I stepped on the gas and followed the instructions on the GPS.

*o*o*o*

The week dragged on and on…

I played video games…alone, 'cause Jazz ditched me to be with Alice.

The week dragged on and on…

Mom couldn't shut up about her beloved Marie and her family, so I tuned her out every time she started. Just because Alice wasn't home didn't mean I'd turn into Mom's BFF.

The week dragged on and on…

I worked out.

The week dragged on and on…

I got drunk and jacked my cock.

The week dragged on and on…

*o*o*o*

I woke up early, got dressed—ready for Hell Week to begin—and forced down a plate of scrambled eggs. The past weeks had been awful when it came to food. When the season started, I needed to pick up my game. I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge then hurried out the door. I couldn't get there soon enough.

I arrived at school five to eight, and Jasper showed up a few minutes later. And he was his pissy morning self as usual.

"Morning, Jazz." I smirked as he got out of his car.

"Yeah, yeah," he grumbled.

We stood there for about fifteen minutes while more guys showed up. Then, when we were about to head for the dressing rooms, that fucking Jeep showed up. No girl this time…just King Kong.

I nodded toward the locker rooms and Jazz followed.

He had to be new here then. And if his name was McCarty, it was fucking clear the chick really belonged with him.

_Lucky son of a bitch._

Jazz and I geared up quickly and headed out to the field where Coach and a few of the other guys had gathered.

"Ay, Cullen! Good to see ya, dude."

I grinned. "You too, Tyler. Trying out for captain this week?"

Last year's captain was Royce King, but he graduated last spring, so Coach was gonna use this week to see who fit the bill. Usually, a senior got the gig.

"Gotta try, right?"

I shrugged, not really seeing the appeal. "Good luck."

Just as those words had left me, King Kong entered the field all geared up, and shit…that dude was huge. I mean…I'd seen him before, but with all the gear? Fucking monster, that one. I doubted he had a single inch on me in height, but the guy was broad as hell.

_Linebacker, no fucking question._

Coach blew his whistle to get the team's attention, and Hell Week officially started.

Oh, and guess what. When Coach called up our names, I found out King Kong's last name.

Fuckin' McCarty.

*o*o*o*

I left practice feeling more pissed than ever.

McCarty. He was fast, he was crafty, and he was way too fucking strong. I was still faster, but if you ever had to cross him, you wouldn't make it out alive. And the coach loved him…so did the other guys. He sure as hell wouldn't be an outcast at school.

Me, Jazz, Tyler, and Seth decided to shoot some pool at the diner after practice and tonight there was a party at Tyler's house.

**BPOV**

"Good morning, baby girl. Jeesh!" I scrunched my nose. "Poop much last night, did ya? Yes, you did." I blew a raspberry on her tummy. "Yes, you did."

The booming laughter behind me stopped my morning routine with Haley. Emmett stood in the doorway, holding his nose.

I giggled. "Good morning, Em."

"Morning, thith." He was still plugging his nose.

"What's up?"

"I'm here to relieve you, including taking care of the shit—er, I mean poop monster. Aunt Marie will be here in fifteen, and you need to get ready."

I gave up my daughter to the goof, showered, got dressed, and skipped breakfast.

I was starting school today.

To say I was nervous would be the understatement of the year.

September had snuck up on me too quickly.

I was glad, though, 'cause I only had school on Wednesdays and Thursdays. After school each Wednesday, I also had a session with my therapist here in Port Angeles—not to mention the session I had on Mondays. I'd already met with her a couple times now, and she was nice. She didn't pressure me, which relaxed me; it also made me more talkative.

Anyway, it was Thursday today, and I would've been in school yesterday, had it not been for the fact that I was up all night with Haley. Aunt Marie was here, too, and she told me over and over that she could take care of Haley, but I couldn't just go to sleep when my girl was screaming her heart out.

_She's teething._

Ready to go, I took one last glance in the mirror. Skinny black jeans, a light blue spaghetti-strap top, and a black scarf. I pulled my hair back into a ponytail, added some mascara and eyeliner, hopped into a pair of light blue flats, and grabbed my bag and iPhone.

Saying goodbye to Aunt Marie and Haley was difficult, but I was comforted by the knowledge that I'd be back home in a few hours.

I spent the entire ride listening to Muse, singing along, and following Emmett's Jeep.

I caught myself smiling a lot, and that surprised me.

When I thought about it, I also realized that the worst of my nervousness had faded away, too.

We drove into the parking lot of the school, and there were people _everywhere_.

Why didn't I feel nervous anymore? Weird.

"You ready?" Em asked as I locked up my car.

I grinned. "Yeah, I really am. I thought I was gonna go all mental, but I haven't."

"Ha! That's my girl," he laughed and put his arm around me. "I have practice later so I'll be home late. But you can stay for lunch, right? I checked our schedules—we have lunch at the same time."

"Sure, sounds good. Shall we meet up outside the cafeteria?"

"We shall." He bowed like the Renaissance prince he wasn't.

I found my classroom rather quickly, and as soon as the door opened, I took a seat in the back. I was checking my iPhone when the chair next to me moved. I removed my headphones and looked up.

"Hi! You're the new girl, right? I'm Alice."

I smiled back at her and shook her hand. "Bella."

Sitting down next to me, I realized who she was—the girl from the diner I saw a couple weeks ago. Which meant she probably knew that hot guy…

"So, what brought you to Forks of all places?" she asked.

This, I was prepared for. "My family needed a change of scenery, and apparently we're into trees now," I chuckled.

She smirked. "Well, we certainly have those here. By the way, you don't happen to be the new girl who-"

"All right, listen up, everybody." The teacher interrupted.

And so the class started.

We found out that the seats we were in now would be ours for the rest of the semester, and that suited me just fine. Alice seemed nice, and I enjoyed sitting in the back. After two hours of domestic shit, it was lunch time. Alice stuck around and insisted that we have lunch together with her friends. I hardly got a word in—she was trying to recruit me to the drama club or something—but as we got closer to the cafeteria, I saw Emmett waiting. He grinned at me, two guys standing next to him. My guess…Tyler and Seth. He'd spoken about those two from Hell Week.

"Alice, do you mind if someone else joins us?" I asked.

"Of course not, silly. Who?"

That was when we reached Emmett, so I dove right into introductions. "Alice, this is Emmett. Emmett, Alice."

"Oh, wow—Cullen wasn't exaggerating. You're huge. Oh, wait! You two were the ones we saw a few weeks ago at the parking lot, aren't you?"

I nodded in response to her question, and Emmett continued.

Meanwhile, I was wondering who "Cullen" was, seeing as it was Esme's last name.

"Good to meet ya, Alice. And Bella, this is Crowley and Clearwater. I told you about them."

"Nice to meet you." I offered them a small wave.

"_So_ nice to meet you too, Bella." Tyler smirked.

"Yeah, _really_." Seth gave me a slow once-over.

_Subtle._

Emmett pulled me closer as we headed in. The cafeteria wasn't huge, but it was packed with people.

We all grabbed lunch, and Alice…and Emmett's guys…hmm, they all steered us to the same table. I guessed they were in the same clique or whatever?

I sat down next to Emmett and Alice, and it didn't take long before the table was filled with football players and their girlfriends. When the seat on the other side of Alice became taken, she looked really excited.

"Jasper! I want you to meet Bella. She's awesome. And, Bella, this is my Jazz."

"Mighty fine to meet ya, darlin'."

_Wow._

"Southern charm, huh?" I smirked at Alice. "Nice to meet you too, Jasper."

"Pshh." Alice waved him off. "It's all an act. He's from Pullman, not the Lone Star State."

I giggled.

Emmett and Jasper bumped fists, to which I quirked an eyebrow.

"Whitlock's on the team," Emmett explained.

"Ah, gotcha." I nodded. "And how come you only use your last names?"

"I know, right? I don't understand it either," Alice huffed.

The guys just shrugged, and I opened my soda.

"Which brings us to this jackass," Alice continued.

A special someone sat down next to Jasper.

It was _him_.

"This is my brother, and since he's also on the team, I have to call him Cullen." She rolled her eyes.

He smiled crookedly at me.

I bit down on my bottom lip.

_Holy shit._

"This is Bella. She and I are in Home Ec together."

_Wait_.

Cullen…

And it was Alice's brother. Ali, Alice, Ali, Alice.

Fuck me, I probably should've connected the dots sooner, 'cause these were obviously Esme's children.

"Nice to meet you, Bella." His voice was warm, rich.

I nodded with a dip of my chin and gave my soda my attention.

"Hey, Cullen. Drop the stare, will ya?"

_Fuck you, Emmett._

The whole table chuckled, and I gave my brother a kick under the table.

He barely noticed.

Cullen or Edward or whatever he preferred to be called smirked cockily. "What, McCarty—you're not up for some competition?"

_Competition?_

I tilted my head at Cullen, eyebrow cocked. "There's no competition."

_I mean…competition between whom?_

"Oooh! Burn, Cullen!" Tyler howled.

"Bella! I love you!" Alice exclaimed. "Finally a chick that can handle Edward!"

I frowned, confused. Was I slow or something? And when did I ever "burn" Cullen? I just told him there was no competition.

"Rose, finally!" Alice waved over some blonde. My brother sure noticed her; I snickered under my breath. "Meet the new guys—Bella and Emmett."

As the seconds passed and Emmett and Rose were still staring at each other, I could barely withhold my guffaws.

See, my brother had always prided himself on being a heartbreaker. He wasn't a player, mind you, but he loved the attention, and he had turned down a lot of girls in the past.

He always kept his cool; no chick ever made him tongue-tied.

_So much for that, bro!_

A giggle slipped through my lips, at which I covered my mouth with my hand.

"Oh, my God—_look_ at you!" I laughed and punched my brother's arm.

For the first time in my life, I saw Emmett's cheeks flush red from embarrassment.

"Shut the fuck up, Bella," Emmett hissed, eyes now trained on his tray of food.

I flicked his ear. "It's so red!" With a grin on my face, I craned my neck to greet this Rose, who had just sat down a few seats away. "I sorta already like you."

"Um, I don't get it." Rose was actually blushing a little, too.

"Yeah, I feel like I'm missing something." Alice looked pensive.

Cullen chuckled. "You and me both, sis."

"Eh." I waved them off. "One McCarty down; another to go." I smirked at my brother.

"Wait…" Alice put down her soda as her eyes grew wide as saucers. "Are—are you two _married_?!"

What. The. Fuck.

"Excuse me?" I stuttered.

"Jesus, she's my fucking sister!" Emmett shouted, looking as horrified as I felt. "What's _wrong_ with you people?!"

"Oh," Edward mouthed. His ears were a little red, too.

"Christ," Alice breathed out, seemingly in relief.

I shook my head and stood up. "You guys are off your fucking rockers," I chuckled. "I'm gonna go, Em." He knew I was anxious to get home to Haley. "See ya later, guys."

And with that, I turned around and left.

"You know what to do, Bella!" Emmett shouted after me.

"Yeah, Em!"

_I'll give Haley a kiss from you._

**EPOV**

I shook my head to get my ass back to reality. This had been one fucked-up lunch hour. But all I could think about, as I watched Bella—who was McCarty's _sister_, thank you very much—walk away was…

_She single?_

Rosalie, by the way, didn't sit next to me anymore. No, the chick had been quick to take Bella's seat and was now all up in Emmett's junk. The weird part was that I didn't resent him anymore. He was just another teammate. Okay, so maybe it wasn't weird; maybe there was an explanation. Whatever.

"Okay, I'm ready to get outta here," Jasper drawled. "How about we skip the rest of the day?"

I was definitely on board.

Alice nodded. "The Lodge?" Jazz and I nodded, too, and my sister turned to Rose. "Earth to Rose!"

"What?!" she hissed.

We all chuckled.

It seemed Rosalie had found a new guy. My guess was that Royce, her ex, was a distant memory already.

"We're skipping the rest of the day. Wanna join us?" Alice asked.

Rose waited on Emmett for an answer.

I guess he was with us now.

"Sure." McCarty shrugged. "What do you guys do for fun around here?"

Alice spoke up. "The diner will have to do."

"Should we ask Bella to come?" I asked.

I was going for casual, but…

_Sigh._

"Dude, you better watch it," Emmett warned. But this time he was grinning.

I smirked. "I'm gonna have a hard time with you, aren't I?"

He shook his head, amused. "Actually, Bella will shoot you down just fine on her own."

Hmph.

_We'll just have to see about that._

*o*o*o*

We spent the next few hours at The Lodge shooting pool and eating fries. I was hoping that Bella would have joined us, but apparently she studied from home every day except Wednesdays and Thursdays.

To say that I was disappointed would be a huge understatement.

To say I wasn't curious as to why she studied from home would be a big fucking lie.

But Emmett dodged every single question about their life in Port Angeles—that was where they lived.

After a while, we all got kinda frustrated, though we were polite enough to hide it. But one thing was clear: Emmett McCarty was a very private person.

I kinda got back to sulking.

_I just can't catch a break._

*o*o*o*

Friday at school was uneventful. Apart from Alice's comments about my "crush", nothing happened. And crush? Please. So the girl was hot as fuck—big deal…

Waiting several days to see her again was gonna suck, though.

_Knock, knock._

"_Sweetie?"_

"Come in, Mom."

Opening the door, she smiled. "Dinner is almost ready and Marie will be here soon"

I nodded. "All right, I'll be down in five."

Mom's friend was joining us for dinner tonight, and I couldn't exactly say I was thrilled. It was going to be a night of abstracts this and abstracts that.

Although, it was kinda nice to have the family together again. Alice was rarely home, Dad worked overtime while they kept searching for more staff at the hospital, and Mom spent several days a week in Seattle. She and that friend of hers—Marie—had even leased the small apartment above their new gallery. A four-hour commute, and that was just one way, was nothing to take lightly, so we all knew Mom was gonna be away quite a bit. But it was her dream, and she'd sacrificed a lot to be home with Ali and me before.

After changing into a pair of black chinos and a grey button-down, I jogged downstairs. I followed the commotion and ended up in the hallway. Alice was bouncing like a fucking circus freak for God knows what reason, and Mom was cooing with something in her arms. And then there was the woman I assumed to be Marie.

My sister was the first one to notice me.

"Oh, Edward! You have to see the cutest little baby I have ever seen!"

"Baby?" I raised an eyebrow in confusion.


	3. Chapter 3

**Beta'd by HollettLA and pre-read by Kitty Vuitton :)**

* * *

Chapter 3

**EPOV**

When Mom turned around to face me, I saw she was holding the tiniest little girl I had ever seen.

"Oh, honey, come meet Marie. Marie, this is my son—Edward."

I walked forward and shook hands with her. "Nice to meet you."

She smiled. "You too, Edward. Esme's told me so much about you."

I had no reply for that.

"Well, let's not stand out here all night," Mom said. "Why don't we move into the living room."

Following Mom, we all ended up in the living room.

"Isn't she just adorable, Cullen?" Alice whispered.

I nodded slowly, still a bit confused about why she—the baby—was here. And, uh, don't get me wrong, but Marie seemed a little old to have a baby. If she went to college with my mother, she would be forty-five or so.

"She is. And…who is she?" I tilted my head to Alice.

We both sat down on one of the couches, but just as she was to respond, Mom answered.

"This is Marie's niece—Haley. Marie is watching her tonight, but I just have to say that I might not let her go."

Mom was beyond attached already.

Marie smiled and excused herself to warm up some formula or whatever to the baby, and Alice offered to help her.

"I have to admit, I dig her outfit," I chuckled.

Haley was wearing a little Mariners dress in dark blue that had the team crest on the front.

"Isn't it adorable?" Mom agreed, chuckling. "And look at her back." She turned Haley around, and I kinda froze at the sight.

Above the "01" number was a last name.

_McCarty._

"Uh…is…" I rubbed the back of my neck. "Is she related to Emmett and Bella?"

Mom's head snapped up. "Yes! You know them? Haley's their baby sister. Oh, how fun—you already know each other!" She was beaming.

I was stuck on stupid.

Then I shrugged it off, a bit amused. Maybe Haley was a product of too much wine and a broken condom…or whatever old people used. But it seemed a little far-fetched for a baby Haley's age to have been planned when Emmett and Bella were eighteen and seventeen or something.

But what the hell did I know?

When Alice and Marie returned to the living room, Mom was quick to share the latest news. "Guess what, Marie! Edward and Ali apparently already know Emmett and Bella."

Marie was beaming, too. "How fun! We should get together, all of us."

"Can I assume Emmett picked out Haley's dress?" I grinned.

Marie laughed lightly. "No, that was all Bella. Haley's wardrobe is full of sports attire along with baby merchandise from their favorite bands."

_Fucking A!_

"Hellooo, what did I miss?" Alice waved her hands. "What do Bella and Emmett have to do with Haley?"

Tuning out the conversation, I couldn't help but picture Bella. That she liked sports…well, that was just fucking hot. I seriously couldn't wait to get to know her. And the fact that she was the niece to Marie, the woman who Mom was now working with…there were now several things that tied us together.

The evening continued, and I had to admit Haley was cute as fuck. I even held her once, and she had this little giggle… She was like a mini version of Bella in appearance. Her eyes were lighter than Bella's, but the hair was the same, dark brown, although curlier. And shorter, obviously. It was really soft when I curled a ringlet around my finger.

*o*o*o*

It was after the dinner, and my sister and I were sitting in the living room with Haley. She was leaning back against the couch, seated between us. The grown-ups were laughing in the dining room, although checking in on Haley a few times.

There was a game on, but I couldn't stop watching Alice as she made funny faces at Haley. The baby giggle fucking did it for me.

"Do you think we can talk Mom and Dad into having one of these?" Alice asked.

I chuckled wryly. "You can always try."

"She's sooo cute. And she really looks like Bella and Emmett."

"Yeah, she does."

Sinking back in her seat, I watched as a pensive expression took over Alice's features. As twins, I could read her very well…and vice versa. And this time was no different. We were both thinking about the elusive McCartys. 'Cause at dinner, Marie had been just as secretive—or rather, vague—as Emmett had been at the diner.

I had to wonder why Marie would move up here…with one nephew and two nieces…but no parents.

Even Mom had been evasive had the dinner table. For instance, when Alice asked Marie where Emmett, Bella, and Haley's parents were, Mom had quickly interrupted with the fact that that was a personal matter—none of our business.

The problem was now, as I looked over at my sister, I knew she was gonna dig.

She was a persistent little shit, but the question was whether or not I was going to allow it. Granted, she was her own person, but it wouldn't be too hard to stop her. One word to our parents, and they would steer her in another direction.

*o*o*o*

Unfortunately, over the next two months, we didn't get a single answer.

Every Thursday, Alice would sit with Bella during their class. Then we would all meet up for lunch, but nothing turned serious during that hour. Emmett, who was now dating Rosalie, spent every fucking lunch hour sucking face, and Bella would joke around with Jasper a lot or talk girly shit with Alice. Bella rarely spoke to me. Not that I really talked to her, either. Around her, I couldn't find my fucking tongue.

For some reason, she kinda intimidated me.

Emmett, too, especially when Alice would try to sneak in a question. Hell, at practice or when we were away on games, even I tried to find out little things about them. But they were Fort fucking Knox.

I was hoping to see Bella outside the school premises, and when Mom and Marie opened their gallery in Seattle last month, we all spent the weekend there for the premiere. Everyone was there.

Except for Bella and Haley.

I got so fucking frustrated and, to be perfectly honest, pissed off, when I found out Bella was staying home to watch her baby sister. I couldn't get that chick outta my head. All day, it seemed, my thoughts wandered to her.

And Christ, my cock was getting sore…

Even though I had barely talked to her, I still had a long list that made up Bella Enigma McCarty. During that lunch hour every Thursday—sadly, we didn't have lunch together on Wednesdays—I learned a lot by just watching and listening. She was smart as hell and had a wicked sense of humor.

She loved photography, and one Thursday she brought her camera with her to the cafeteria. But she didn't snap off pictures of those who posed. She waited until someone was caught off guard, and when she gave Alice black and white copies the week after, I was impressed by her talent.

There was one picture of Alice and Jazz where they just looked at each other, but it fucking easy to see that they were in love with one another. It made them both realize that they weren't just dating. It was more than that.

There were pictures of some of the teammates where they didn't look like the jerks they usually were. One photo of Crowley where his forehead was creased…he looked like he was the smartest man on earth. Only we who were there knew that he was frowning because we were out of pizza. There were even a few pictures of me. I hadn't even been aware of her taking them.

I did, however, remember what was going through my mind at the time. The first photo of me was where I was sitting down, looking tense, pinching the bridge of my nose. I was frustrated with myself there. I wanted to talk to her but couldn't come up with anything casual.

Another picture was of Emmett and me bumping fists across the table. Both of us grinning like fools. The photo made me wonder why Bella took it in the first place. For me it was a relaxing reminder… We were buddies now—pretty damn close ones, at that. He was a cool guy, funny as hell. Not to mention how we owned the field. With Jasper's swift moves, my speed, and Emmett's massive strength… Shit, we were unstoppable.

*o*o*o*

Another few weeks passed and it was now December.

Bella didn't even have lunch with us anymore. She left right after class, and Emmett had become withdrawn. Rose and Alice were worried as hell…so was I.

I often heard Mom argue with Alice.

We wanted to know what was going on, 'cause we fucking cared, and it was clear that Mom knew something. Still, she didn't budge.

Rose was a completely new person. She didn't bicker with me anymore; she didn't bitch around to prove a point. She was mute and empty.

We all knew how close Emmett and Rosalie had gotten, but things changed quickly about a month ago. Alice and Rose had started asking Bella if the three of them could go shopping together, maybe get their nails done or some other girly crap, or perhaps take off to Seattle over a weekend for some girl time since Mom and Marie had a small apartment at their disposal above the gallery. Bella said she couldn't. Every time either of us tried to get closer, they backed away.

I felt like a pussy for caring so much for a virtual stranger, but I couldn't fucking help it.

**BPOV**

"Em? Please talk to me. Open the door."

Fuck, I hated to see my brother in pain. We were so happy and now everything just plain sucked!

Well, everything didn't suck. Only life in Forks sucked. Our life in Port Angeles was wonderful. Haley was almost eight months old and just so amazing to be around.

She was obsessed with playing peek-a-boo, which brought smiles to our faces.

Other than that…

Emmett broke up with Rose last month, and since then he'd been quiet, mopey, and withdrawn.

I hated it.

It couldn't go on like this; Emmett shouldn't have to suffer. Which was why I was taking Haley with me to visit Marie over the weekend…in Seattle. They were preparing for an art show, and Esme would spend Saturday with Carlisle. That meant alone time with Marie, and I was in desperate need of advice.

I _needed_ to keep my life private, but maybe there was a way for Emmett to get his life back.

Fuck, if people knew…

Rumors would fly around and everyone would wonder how the hell I got knocked up when I was still fifteen. Sure, I could say that I forgot to use protection, but what would that say about me? I could say that the condom broke, but then why did I keep the baby? And why didn't my parents stop me?

It would only force us to lie more.

Or were we supposed to tell the truth? To high school students?

Were we supposed to tell everyone that our parents were murdered? That Emmett was shot and kicked down the stairs? That I was raped and became pregnant? No, thanks.

Strip me naked of my clothes and I'd survive. But to expose me as a rape victim who kept the baby… No. Not to mention what it would do to Emmett.

Imagine coming to school and hearing the rumors about his sister. Some people were really nice, but we couldn't risk it. High school was the way it was, and there was no way I'd be spared of _all_ humiliation.

Imagine living through that horrible night over and over because people suddenly know and couldn't stop reminding you.

Not that I remembered…_certain events_…but still.

Lastly, I didn't want people to judge Haley. I didn't want people to look at her like she was…I don't know, half evil. Maybe that was stupid of me to think that way, but we all had our insecurities.

"Emmett…we're leaving now," I said in defeat.

I grabbed my bags, packed the car, and went back for Haley.

Then, Emmett appeared with her in the hallway. He looked like shit.

With Haley on my hip, I motioned for the kitchen and Emmett followed silently.

"Are you skipping school today?" I asked.

He shrugged and grabbed a soda from the fridge.

"Em." I sighed. "Call her."

He just shook his head, refusing to look me in the eye.

"You love her," I murmured. Even though he didn't respond, I knew the truth. "She loves you, too."

"Stop," he whispered, looking down at the floor.

I narrowed my eyes at him, thinking about Rose and their situation.

If…if Rose loved him, which I knew she did, wouldn't she be able to accept him without finding out the truth? I knew she would.

"If you don't call her, I will."

He shot me a glare. "The fuck you will, sis. Stay out of this."

No. I couldn't stay out of this. "She will accept whatever you choose to tell her. So what if you can't let her in on this one thing?"

"Oh, yeah?" He game me a look of impatience. "But what happens later, Bella? What happens when things get serious? She won't settle for not knowing forever. And she deserves better than that anyway. She deserves someone who can take care of her. She deserves someone who at least can invite her into his home! I can't do that." He poked his chest. "It's only a matter or weeks, maybe even days, before Haley start speaking—before she start calling you who you are!"

I stared at him, my mind spinning. At the same time, Haley was fussing in my arms, so I knew it was time to get on the road.

"Who says you can't tell her the truth one day?" I asked quietly. "We may not be ready for that right now, but can't she wait? Can't you tell her you're just not ready yet?"

He had no response for that.

*o*o*o*

An hour into the trip to Seattle, Haley had finally fallen asleep, so I plugged in my headset and dialed Rose's number.

If Emmett was going to be stubborn…

Sisters were put on earth to butt in, right?

"_Hello?"_

I took a breath. "Rose? This is Bella."

"_Bella! How are you? Did you change your number? How's Emmett?"_

My smile was small and rueful. Yeah, I had changed numbers. I had to. Alice wouldn't stop calling me… "To tell anyone the truth for once, everything is shit. I need your help."

"_Anything, Bella. Just name it," _she said quickly.

The smile grew a little. "Do you love my brother?"

She exhaled. _"More than anything."_ Her voice cracked; it broke my heart. I was done with this shit. I knew we couldn't tell her much, but fuck!

_Here we go…_

"Can I trust you to not say anything to anyone? Including Alice or anyone else you're close to?"

"_Yes. Anything, like I said. I promise. I just miss him like crazy, and I know he's in pain—but he won't let me in."_

I nodded slowly, phrasing my words carefully. "Okay. A little over a year ago, something bad happened to our family. I know Alice told you about Haley. Well, we were left alone. Just the three of us. We moved with our guardian—our aunt. I can't tell you what happened, Rose. But I can tell you that Emmett loves you. He's a complete wreck. But he can't let you in because the things that happened were that horrible. What I'm asking is…please don't give up on him. I know it's a lot to ask for-"

"_Bella. Tell me what to do. I won't pressure him to say anything. But I'm here for you all. I swear."_

As my eyes welled up, I realized I felt freer. There was relief.

I gave Rose our address. I told her to be persistent. I told her to make my brother happy.

In return, she promised she wouldn't ask about our past.

It was a start, right?

*o*o*o*

Haley and I arrived in Seattle a little over five hours after we left. The little giggle monster just loved to make Mommy stop for a diaper change.

_A car that smells like shit is not awesome._

I parked in the parking garage as Marie had instructed. Then I left my bags for later, grabbed a giggling Haley, and headed for the gallery, two minutes down the street. With Haley in my arms and the sun out, I felt good for the first time in weeks. Especially after my talk with Rose.

"Time to see Marie, baby girl." I nuzzled my nose with hers. "Can you say Ma-ma? Ma-ma?"

But she ignored me by waving and giggling instead.

"You'll get there." I nodded firmly.

Reaching the gallery, I opened the door and stepped inside.

_Wow!_

This was my first time here since it was finished, and _wow_. The massive space was completely square and open. White walls and black-painted concrete floor—the floor was actually all glossy. The ceiling was really high, with a spiral staircase in the right corner leading to the small two-bedroom apartment. The gallery had originally been two floors, but they had made it into one huge room. As wide as it was high, almost.

"Bella! Oh, and Haley!" Esme walked toward us with a big smile.

"Hi, Esme." I smiled back.

"How are you two?" She was quick to pull us in for a hug. "It's been so long, honey." Taking a step back, she cupped Haley's cheek. "And look at you, sunshine. You're so big!"

I chuckled. "All good here," I half-lied. "What about you? Things coming along?"

I could see the covered frames lined up along the walls.

"Everything will be perfect." She motioned toward the stairs. "You haven't met Carlisle, have you? We're all upstairs having a late lunch. Come join us."

I followed her up the staircase and into the apartment. The apartment was narrow but very light; it had honey-colored hardwood floors and white walls. When we reached the small living room, I was taken aback by two things. First, Esme's handsome husband sitting in one of the plush chairs. And second…the wall across the room was filled with photos _I_ had taken. It was that day when I brought my camera to the cafeteria in school.

"Bella, this is my husband—Carlisle. Carlisle, this is Bella and her little sister Haley."

Carlisle stood up with a warm smile and reached for my hand while I pushed back the urge to scream out that she was my daughter and not sister. I thought I would have been used to it by now, but no.

"So nice to finally meet you, Bella. I've heard many great things about you."

His voice reminded me of Edward's. Warm, rich, soft.

"Very nice to meet you, too, Carlisle." I smiled politely.

His focus shifted to Haley next. "And little Haley. So beautiful. She's growing up fast. Esme can't stop talk about her—I can see why." He winked.

Esme cupped my elbow and ushered me to the couch. "Come sit down, honey. Marie is just making a few calls in the kitchen."

I nodded and sat down on the couch. Haley was still a little sleepy from the trip, so she settled calmly on my lap, cuddling close to my chest.

"So…" I looked up at Esme and Carlisle. "I noticed the photos," I chuckled and nodded at the wall. "Did Marie put them there?"

"Oh, I hope you don't mind, but I actually put them up," Esme said. "Alice came home one day with the CD and the printed copies… Just wow, Bella. You are so talented. I actually had tears in my eyes when Edward showed me the picture you took of him and Ali. There are no words for how much I love them all. And don't think for one second that we won't show your work in the gallery soon."

Uncharacteristically for me, I blushed like a little girl. "Really?" I squeaked. "I'm just—just playing around."

Truth be told, photography was just a hobby. It would be cool to work with it in the future, but that was hardly at the forefront of my mind.

"Well, your playing around is very professional," she replied matter-of-factly. "They're wonderful. And I just love black and white. The way you captured the glint in Edward's eyes when he smiled at Alice…" She sighed softly. "It was just amazing."

_That's your godly son—not me._

"Um, thank you." I didn't really know what else to say.

*o*o*o*

A couple hours later, Haley and I were settled in Aunt Marie's room. We were both resting a little while Carlisle, Esme, and Marie made plans for the art show next weekend. Meeting Carlisle resulted in my not resting very well, though. He reminded me too much of Edward—the beautiful boy I had a huge crush on.

Edward was usually very quiet during lunch, and I wondered why since Emmett had told me how outgoing he usually was. When Edward was on the field, he was apparently a force of nature that couldn't be stopped, and between classes he was, according to the rest, very funny.

Just thinking about the photos I took of him…_shiver_. At first, I'd been nervous about actually taking his picture, but I convinced myself in the end. And now I had a little token of him in my wallet.

_You're in too deep._

Yeah, tell me about it.

I had almost freaked out when I heard that Edward and Alice had met Haley. Marie had told me about the dinner beforehand, but for some weird reason I didn't realize Edward and Alice would be there. Then I heard Alice talking one day about meeting her. And the way Edward smiled when his sister spoke of Haley…

_Yep, way too fucking deep._

*o*o*o*

"Can you laugh for Mommy, Haley?" I cooed softly, Eskimoing her. After her nap, we returned to the living room, which was empty. The adults were still downstairs. "Yes, you sure can. You're Mommy's little miracle, aren't ya?" She giggled and grabbed my face. "You know what would make me extra happy? If you said Mama. Maaa-maaa."

She bounced a little on my lap.

"Come on, you can do it," I chuckled and tickled her. "Say _ma-ma_."

"Ma-ma-ma-ma-mam!"

My jaw dropped. Eyes grew wide.

_Holy shit!_

"Ma-mam!" she squealed.

Tears welled up in my eyes, and I crushed my daughter to my chest, hugging her so tight.

"That's right, baby," I choked out. With a watery smile, I released her a little, eager to hear it again. For the rest of my life. "Can you say it again, Haley? Can you say ma-ma?"

"Mamaaa!"

I let out an "eeeek" and quickly checked the clock on the wall. 'Cause this minute was definitely going into her baby book.

"You're so good," I gushed and sniffled.

"Mammm-am…ma-ma-ma-ma!"

This would never get old!

Christ, I couldn't wait to tell Emmett.

Unfortunately, my slice of heaven vanished when I heard a sniffle to my left.

_Please let it be Marie. Please let it be Marie. Please let it be Marie._

Slowly, I turned toward the doorway, heart stuck in my throat.

* * *

**Quick note: There won't be any _detailed_ flashbacks about Emmett and Bella's past. The events will be explained, but keep this line of Bella's in mind, "Not that I remembered…_certain events_…but still." To sum up, there can't be flashbacks of _those_ "certain events," seeing as she stated it herself; she doesn't remember.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry about the delay! Had to re-write a bit more with this chapter and the next. Good news is that the next is already beta'd, so I'll post again in a few days :)**

**Special thanks to Lisa and Kitty! And thank you all for reading :)**

* * *

Chapter 4

**BPOV**

_Esme_.

She approached cautiously, eyes full of unshed tears.

I was scared shitless and unable to move an inch.

Haley squirmed in my arms; I hadn't even realized I was holding her close to my chest—both my arms around her like I was protecting her or something.

Esme sat down slowly on the coffee table right across from where I sat on the couch.

There was nothing but concern in her eyes, and I didn't know what to make of it.

"Haley's not your sister, is she?" she whispered.

I gulped.

"No," I mouthed. My heart pounded; I could fucking hear it. I was terrified, and all my instincts told me to run…but Esme's voice wasn't something you could run away from. She was love personified.

She gently grabbed my right hand and gave it a squeeze. I was a little confused about the warmth in her smile. "I won't ask any questions," she said softly. "If you want to talk, I'm here for you. But I won't mention anything. You have my word." She gave my hand another squeeze. "Can I just tell you one thing?"

_Here it comes…_

I swallowed hard.

"You, Bella, are wonderful. And you're amazing with Haley."

Brick by brick, my walls came tumbling down.

My bottom lip quivered; there was no holding back the tears.

I cried for ages.

Moving to sit down next to me on the couch, Esme pulled both me and Haley in for a motherly hug.

I kept crying.

All the pretenses, every lie, all these months of worrying…

I was exhausted, and Esme was better than my therapist. And my grief counselor back in Phoenix, for that matter.

I had no idea how long we sat there. All I knew was that Haley drifted in and out of sleep, and my sobs finally abated. I hadn't even told her anything and I already felt tons lighter.

"The first time I met you, Bella…" Esme sighed softly and smiled. "I saw the love you felt for Haley. I'm speaking to you as one mother to another when I say that you have done a wonderful job raising your girl so far. And I have no doubt in my mind that you will continue doing wonders with her."

I focused on her soothing words and took deep cleansing breaths that felt so much lighter now.

A few minutes went by, and I could feel the air in the room switching. It became brighter and more carefree.

"She looks just like you. Your beautiful eyes…and can I assume those are Emmett's dimples?"

I nodded. "Haley's the first girl in the family to have them," I admitted, a bit hoarse from all the crying. More comfortable than ever, I sat up straighter with Haley sleeping on my shoulder. "Emmett has them. Dad had them…and our grandfather. I don't—same went for my grandfather's sister. Emmett was thrilled when he saw that Haley had dimples. And his curls."

I smiled at the memory of Emmett watching over me and Haley after I had given birth to her.

Esme chuckled. "We have a similar situation in our family, actually. The green eyes come from my family…and it has always been the girls who have them. But then when Edward and Alice were born," she laughed softly. "Well, our little tradition went out the window."

*o*o*o*

An hour later than planned, we were all seated in a beautiful restaurant, eating dinner and talking lightly about everything and nothing.

Esme had promised earlier not to say anything to anyone, and I promised myself to open up to her more. Since she was a mother, it felt so natural to talk to her.

We were waiting for dessert when my phone buzzed.

**U r one meddling b****. But I love u. Thank u. –Em**

I giggled at the text and replied.

**I did it for Rose, u ass ;) Btw, Haley said her first word today! –B**

**WHAT?! And I missed it! –Em**

**U got the first laugh so suck it up LOL. –B**

**Fine. What did she say? –Em**

I grinned widely.

**Mama. What else? :P –B**

**Dammit. Ah well. Give her a kiss from me. –Em**

**I will :) Id say give Rose a kiss from me but Im guessing u already did that –B**

**Quit cockblocking me. –Em**

**GROSS! *gags* –B**

**Just like u r when u say Cullen's name in ur sleep. –Em **

_Shit._

Well, a girl could dream, couldn't she?

Sadly, that was all I'd ever have with Edward.

'Cause…who would want a girlfriend with the baggage I had? Not that I saw my baby girl as baggage, but there was the rest, too. My fucked-up past.

"Someone's popular tonight."

I looked up from my phone and saw Esme's wink as the waitress arrived with our desserts.

"I'm so sorry," I apologized, tucking away my phone. "That was rude of me."

"Oh, please." She waved me off. "According to Ali, her phone is more important than her liver. Always attached to her."

"Like Edward with the remote," Carlisle mumbled around his spoon.

I laughed a little, about to bring up my brother in that particular conversation, but Haley interrupted me by throwing two squeeze toys on the floor.

"Nuh-uh, Haley," I said and shook my head no at her. Giving my daughter stern eyes was not a simple feat. She was too cute. But I managed. I would not be played by her like her Uncle Emmett.

I wasn't surprised when Haley threw the toys on the floor again.

_Grr_.

"Honey?" Aunt Marie asked. "Let me take her for a while. You need to relax a little."

I sighed but nodded eagerly. Five minutes with my dessert wouldn't kill me. "But don't cave on her," I told her, picking up my fussy girl from her highchair. "She already has Emmett wrapped around her finger."

"Carlisle was the same with Ali," Esme said, nodding. "One look at her and he was whipped. Edward too, actually. It's not often he says no to her." She smiled fondly.

_You had to go and mention your sexy son, huh?_

"He seems kind of quiet," I mentioned. "I can't say I know him all that well, but we've had lunch together a few times, all of us. He doesn't say much."

"Really?" Esme looked surprised. I nodded. "Hmm, that doesn't sound like Edward. Sure, Alice can walk all over him, but that's because he lets her. But otherwise I've heard he's quite loud himself."

_Well, Esme, you're not the first one to say so. I guess your son's only quiet around me._

*o*o*o*

I woke up on Sunday morning feeling sore. We had spent Saturday doing nothing except preparing for the art show. Some of those fucking paintings weighed tons. _Tons, I tell ya!_

Esme and Carlisle had the day to themselves, so it was just Aunt Marie, Haley, and me. Oh, and two professional movers. They were there for the really large frames.

It was really nice despite the hard work. We had the playpen set up for Haley in one of the corners. So, Marie and I spent the day hanging up paintings, eating junk food, laughing at memories and stories… It was just what we needed. We also talked about Emmett and our situation, but only briefly. Before confiding in Esme, I was desperate for help, but after talking to her, I realized we would just have to take baby steps. I knew that Esme would be the first one I would talk to, and Rose would most likely be the first person Emmett talked to. We would simply see how things turned out. And then Emmett and I would discuss the next step together.

But now it was Sunday, and the muscles in my legs and arms ached like crazy. At least I got to sleep in today, though. Aunt Marie took care of Haley when she started to stir around six this morning and told me to come down whenever. I liked that. A lot.

It was exactly noon when I was freshly showered and dressed. A few of the artists showing their work here next weekend were coming in today around two, so I had to look presentable. I got dressed in a white button-down, kinda snug, rolled up the sleeves to my elbows, and finished with a pair of classic dress pants…and fucking heels. Oh, and of course the jewelry that Marie had chosen for me.

When I stared at myself in the mirror, I looked more like a classy business woman than a teen mom. I wouldn't complain, but it was really not me. I was more casual and laid back.

These last two hours before everyone showed up… Well, let's just say I needed that time to practice walking in heels. I was more into ballet flats and Chucks. Death traps? Not so much. At least I looked hot…

With a final glance in the mirror, I pulled back my hair in a high ponytail, leaving a few tendrils lingering along my collarbone.

Then I grabbed my wallet and left the apartment. Funny, the spiral staircase looked more intimidating when I was wearing these heels. Jesus Christ.

As I headed down, though, the stairs were suddenly the least of my concern. 'Cause with a view overlooking the gallery, I saw two people I sure as hell hadn't expected to see today.

_Edward and Alice._

Alice was dressed just like I was, and Edward…_myfuckingGod_…he was wearing black dress pants and a white button-down, too, but it looked completely different on a boy. _Correct that_. He looked like a _man_.

Unfortunately, their mere presence wasn't the only thing that had me on edge. It was also the fact that they were with Haley. Alice was holding her, and Edward was making funny faces at her.

It made my heart clench.

The sight from up here was beautiful but terrifying. Carlisle and Esme were standing by one of the walls, discussing something while gesturing to different paintings. And Marie was on the phone by the counter next to the door.

I descended the stairs silently—something I thought was impossible—but when I reached the main floor, my heels made click-clack noises as I walked. So, of course everyone turned to me.

"Hi, Bella!" Alice looked so excited to see me.

I felt bad and torn.

"Hey, Alice." I smiled gently.

I smiled and nodded at Esme and Carlisle. Then I fixed my eyes on the only person in the world who could make me relax in this situation. My daughter.

By the time I was halfway there, Haley noticed me.

"Mama! Ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-mam!"

I started to panic; nothing could've prepared me for this, even though I knew it was only a matter of time before Haley called me Mama in front of others. However, Esme, God bless her, saved me.

"Congratulations, Bella. You received the same greeting as I did," she chuckled.

I understood immediately what she was doing, and I breathed out a sigh of relief. It was only then I allowed myself to feel the joy of hearing Haley say that again; she'd remembered.

When I finally reached Alice and Edward, Haley was impatiently waiting for me, arms stretched out.

"Hi, sweetie," I cooed and reached for her.

With Haley on my hip, I could finally breathe. I planted a few kisses on her face, inhaled in her baby scent, and calmed down.

"I've effing missed you," Alice said, pouting at me.

"I've effing missed you, too." It was the truth; I just didn't see how things could change.

As best as we could, Alice and I hugged with Haley between us, but she pushed at us in a matter of two seconds, if that. And she was reaching for a new person now, accompanied by a whine that sounded like, "Eeeeehh! Eeeehhh-eehhh!"

Problem was, she was reaching for Edward.

It was basically the first time since I'd gotten down here that I allowed myself to actually look him in the eye.

He looked nervous, anxious, and amused. "Sorry, Bella…but I think you need to step up the game. She likes my funny faces." To hear his voice again…

But I was a little dumfounded, 'cause this was the most he'd ever spoken to me. Aside from hellos and one awkward talk about the Washington weather, there hadn't been much.

And since I was stuck on stupid, I barely noticed Edward gathering Haley in his arms.

"Come on, Haley," he said with a smile. "Let's leave the effing chicks before they forget to censor their vocabulary. It's only a matter of time."

With that, he walked toward his parents, Haley happily babbling away in his arms.

"WTF?" I questioned, my wide eyes finding a smirking Alice. "What just happened?"

She grinned and waved me off. "Oh, my brother just has a thing for your sister."

_Yeah, um, that's just wrong on so many levels._

"Wanna get some coffee?" she asked next.

I blew out a breath and nodded. "Sure. I was just heading out to get some food anyway."

We walked toward the front door, but then I turned back to the others. "Breakfast, brunch, or lunch, anyone? Alice and I are heading out. I take orders," I said and curtsied.

Aunt Marie mouthed a "no, thanks", still on the phone.

"Black coffee, please." Carlisle smiled.

"Same here," Edward said…and winked!

What happened to the quiet guy?

"Buy some muffins that we can have upstairs later," Esme requested, grabbing my attention. "Wait, let me get you some money."

"It's fine. We'll deal with that later," I said dismissively.

Alice opened the door, and we stepped out to another sunny day in Seattle. It was cold as fuck, but Starbucks was just around the corner. This was Seattle, after all.

"Oh, Bella," Alice sighed and placed her arm around my shoulders. "I really have missed you. It's been months…"

I sighed, too, hating my past. "Ditto," I whispered; my throat felt thick. I wish I could promise her I'd never pull away ever again, but I couldn't. "I'm sorry. I'll try better." It was lame, though it was the only thing I could offer.

"Water under the bridge." She waved me off, downplaying that I'd hurt her. "And sorry for pressuring you."

"No problemos." I smiled ruefully. "I'll talk when I'm ready, okay?"

"Goodie." She was being too forgiving.

As we entered Starbucks, I changed the topic for now. "So, what's up with your brother?"

"Ah, you noticed the change, huh?" she chuckled.

I widened my eyes. "Uh, yeah! Big time."

"I honestly don't know." She tapped her chin and looked thoughtful. "He's just been happier in the past couple days."

_Oh_.

Well, good for him.

I tried not to think about some other girl making him happy; I had no right to be jealous. I was the one pulling away. Simple as that. Still…

*o*o*o*

"Sweet Jesus. Did you empty out Starbucks?" Esme laughed as we came in with four bags of goodies.

"I'm a big eater." I shrugged, grinning. "No, I was just thinking that you will all need to eat at some point, so…"

"That's very considerate of you. Haley and Edward are upstairs, by the way. He said something about cartoons, but don't be surprised if there's a game on." She winked.

"Okay," I chuckled.

"We'll take everything upstairs," Alice said.

I followed her up the stairs and we put the food on the counter in the kitchen. Alice went back downstairs with the coffee for Carlisle, I grabbed a sandwich and a latte for myself, and the coffee for Edward. And guilty as charged…I found Edward and Haley on the couch. There were no cartoons. It was a game.

I faked a cough and grinned. "Yeah, Esme warned me that you were full of it. Cartoons, huh?"

He straightened up and smiled innocently. "Hmm, don't know what you're talking about."

"Right." I smirked and handed him the coffee.

I sat down on the other end of the couch and groaned as I kicked off the heels. I glanced at Haley who was falling asleep. "I effing hate heels."

"Really? Personally, I love heels. I wear them all the time," he joked.

Yeah, this really was a new Edward.

"Oh, I bet you do," I teased and unwrapped my sandwich. "There's food in the kitchen if you're hungry."

He nodded. "Thanks—maybe later."

"Suit yourself, but you're gonna need strength if you're gonna try steal my Haley away." It was easy to join him our new comfy zone.

"Try?" he scoffed. "I've already succeeded."

I looked up from my sandwich and tilted my head slightly.

"What?" he asked.

"I like the new Edward," I said honestly. "You were very quiet before. What changed?"

He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. He was thinking.

"Honestly?"

I grinned. "Preferably."

"Well…what you call the new Edward is actually plain ole' me. I just, for some reason, um, hasn't shown you the real me…until now. Sort of." He winced, looking nervous all of a sudden.

I frowned. "I'm kinda confused."

Why couldn't he be himself with me from the get-go?

He sighed, shoulders dropping, and elaborated. "I'll lay it out for you now before I lose my nerves again. You make me nervous," he blurted out, running a hand through his hair. "But…um, I was wondering…if you would like to—to go out some time?"

_Whoa_.

"Oh," I breathed out and set down my sandwich.

_Did Edward Cullen just ask me out? Like…on a date?_

I had to ask, just to be sure. With my luck, my mind was playing tricks on me. "Are you asking me out on a date?"

"Yes." His knee bounced.

_Holy shit._

"W-why?" I stuttered. "I mean…why me? I'm just _me_."

There was nothing wrong with my self-esteem or anything. I knew I was pretty hot, and I had my heart in the right place. I was loyal; there was nothing I wouldn't do for my family. But to a seventeen-year-old boy, I couldn't see that I'd be worth the trouble. Then again, Edward didn't know about my…_trouble_. So to speak.

Edward tilted his head. "Are you serious?" I shrugged. "You don't see yourself very clearly, Bella."

I didn't really know what he meant by that, but before I could ask, Alice walked in.

_Dammit._

"Hi, guys. What'cha doin'?" She sat down next to me.

I forced myself to look away from Edward. "Um, nothing. Just checking the scores." I pointed to the TV.

She groaned. "Bella, are you _really_ into sports? I thought you were kidding before when you talked about catching a game and kicking back with a beer." She made a face.

I giggled. "Baseball and hockey. And football because Emmett plays."

"Play_ed,_" Edward corrected.

I smirked. "I have a feeling he'll be back on the team soon."

*o*o*

The rest of the day passed too quickly. Edward and I didn't get any more alone time, and the gallery was almost filled with people for several hours. A "few" artists turned out to be fifteen, and some of them didn't come alone.

And when everything was over, Haley was screaming bloody murder, so I packed up quickly and headed back home. I was tired, frustrated, and conflicted.

I wanted nothing more than to go out with Edward. I wanted to be seventeen and enjoy high school. I craved normalcy. A few months ago when I turned seventeen, I didn't exactly have a party or go out with friends. No, we had a quiet dinner at Marie's.

What I had surpassed everything else by so much. My baby was my world. But there were still a few things I'd had to give up.

If Alice hadn't walked in on Edward and me, I would have said yes to him. But now that I'd had time to think about it, I was forced to make the mature decision.

I couldn't date when I had a daughter who no one even knew about.

_Fuck._

I pulled the car over at the next truck stop and texted Alice.

**Can u give me Edward's number? – Bella**

Her reply was instant.

**I gave him yours. He'll text u. Sumthin going on? ;) – Alice**

Not knowing what to say, I didn't answer. I'd think of something. Or maybe Edward would tell her.

Christ, sometimes I hated myself.

I almost wanted to hold my breath when there was an incoming text from an unknown number.

**Hey, Bella. Alice told me to text you? – Edward**

And now I wanted to fucking cry.

"Here we go," I mumbled to myself.

**I didn't have ur number. I was thinking about the date. I'm sorry, but I don't think it's a good idea. I'm really sorry. – Bella**

He responded before I could throw the phone outta the window…or maybe slap myself.

**Okay… May I ask why? – Edward**

**It's too complicated. U have no idea how sorry I am. – Bella **

And one final text…

**Me, too. I guess I'll see ya around – Edward**

I squeezed my eyes shut.


	5. Chapter 5

Beta'd by HollettLA and pre-read by Kitty Vuitton :)

* * *

Chapter 5

**BPOV**

I opened the door to the condo and headed straight for the stairs with a sleeping Haley on my shoulder. I could hear Emmett in the living room, but I couldn't deal with him at the moment. He was too happy.

After putting Haley to bed in her room, I grabbed the baby monitor, and headed down stairs again. The kitchen had what I needed.

I pulled out a bottle of vodka from the freezer and the cranberry juice from the fridge.

_Gotta love Em with his fake ID._

A very tall glass and some crushed ice later, I had myself a nice drink. I sat down by the breakfast bar and sulked and sipped.

I was on drink number two when my brother emerged from the living room. "Wanna talk about it, sis?" He pulled out a bottle of beer and sat down next to me.

"Not really, no."

"Let me guess. It's Cullen, right?"

I didn't even bother to look at him. Instead, I took a big swig from my drink and shrugged.

"And you're stopping yourself because of Haley?" he continued.

I continued appreciating my drink.

Emmett looked at me, contemplating, and then put his beer back in the fridge. I eyed him in question.

"It looks like you need to get a little tipsy. And one drunk at a time is enough. Come on, Bella. Talk to me."

I drank.

Fuck, I was really chugging 'em. "He asked me out. I said no."

"Because of Haley," he stated.

"Yep."

My drink was really delicious, by the way.

It made me feel numb.

"Can't you just go out with him and have some fun? Now, I know that I'm pretty much going against my own rules regarding my baby sister…but you need some fun."

"I wish I could." I poured drink number three. "But I already like him too much. I can't…"

"All right." He looked defeated. "Can we at least talk about how we're gonna proceed with our past?"

"Sure." I shrugged and drank, drank, drank. "Esme knows about me, by the way. She kind of walked in on me and Haley when she called me Mama."

I was about to take another swig when Emmett took the glass from me.

"Hey!" I exclaimed.

"Slow down, Bella!" Now he looked pissed. "Drink some water first. Jesus Christ. And don't act so indifferent. Tell me about Esme."

I gave him a glare and poured a glass of water down my throat.

"My drink." I held out my hand.

Emmett returned my drink with a stern look on his face.

What did I do? Well, I flipped him off and swallowed down my drink.

I was being all bitchy, I knew that.

When I went for drink number…um, something, Emmett stopped me again and put the bottle of vodka out of my reach.

"Fucker," I muttered.

"Enough, Bella!" he bellowed. Then he gave me a weird look. Like he was deciding something. His eyes darted to the living room doorway and then back to me.

When a moment had passed, he delivered two words that felt like a punch in the gut.

"Grow up."

I stared at him.

Gone was the numbness.

I could feel myself getting redder and redder in the face. My hands were shaking from the anger that brewed. Tears welled up in my eyes. I balled my hands into fists.

I…I just couldn't believe he'd say that to me. Of all the things…

"Grow up?" I breathed out. "Did—did you just tell me to _grow up_?"

I seriously considered hitting him in the head with the wok.

He nodded. "Yeah. Grow the fuck up."

Tears started streaming down my cheeks, but at the same time, I was laughing darkly.

My body trembled right before I exploded.

"Are you out of your _fucking_ mind, Emmett?!" I shouted. "I can't—I can't…" I choked on a sob. "I can't believe you'd say that to m-me. I'm seventeen years old, and I have a _kid_." I pointed to my chest. "How much more of a grown-up can I be?" He took a step toward me, but I quickly shook my head. "Don't you fucking dare!" I seethed. "You goddamn asshole!" I screamed. "We lost _everything_! We're all alone, and—and I thought I'd lost you, too!" I was sobbing again. "I was up-upstairs; I heard you get shot!" The images of that night in Phoenix flashed before my eyes.

_I closed the door behind me and hurried over to Em's bed._

"_Emmett." I shook him. "Em, call the cops. Someone's in the house! Emmett, please!" Completely terrified from the noise coming from the first floor, I desperately tried to wake up my brother. Finally, it worked._

_He looked up from his pillow, eyes slightly out of focus. "What's up?"_

_My tears ran wild. Words didn't come easy, all of a sudden._

"I thought I'd lost you," I cried. "Both our parents—fucking _dead_. And you…you…" My brother thought I should grow up?

Feeling dizzy, I held onto the counter as more memories assaulted me.

_The next thing we heard was a loud bang that sounded like it came from the kitchen. Emmett shot right out of the bed. He grabbed the baseball bat from his closet and glanced down at me where I sat, kneeling in front of the bed._

"_Promise me that you'll stay here, okay?" He wasn't really asking me._

_I nodded and picked up the phone as Emmett sneaked out to wake up our parents._

_Fingers shaking, I dialed 911 and waited. As soon as the operator answered and told me to state the emergency, I rushed out my whispered plea. "Someone's in our house! Please come—my brother is out there and our parents are asleep. What do I do?" I whimpered._

"We're alone." I knew I was just repeating stuff, but I was too far gone. And was still in disbelief over my brother's words. "We raise my daughter—my fucking _daughter_," I gritted out. My vision was so blurry at this point, I could barely make out Emmett in front of me. "I will _never_ have a normal high school experience, and…" I choked again. "I'm fine with that, but…but don't tell me to grow up!" More screaming, hoarse now.

_Before I could state my address, the line was cut off._

_And I heard a dark chuckle coming from behind me._

_Chills ran down my spine as I slowly turned around._

_Just as I registered the silhouette of a man standing in the doorway, a gunshot rang out, followed by Emmett's gut-wrenching screams._

_I screamed, too. _

Glaring at Emmett, I said, "I can even live with being a goddamn rape victim—one who kept the baby. But…" I shook my head and wiped at my cheeks. "Don't tell me to grow up. _Ever_."

I was ready to finish my tantrum with a slap to his fucking face or something, but a movement in the periphery caught my attention.

Turning to the doorway, I saw a silently crying Rose.

"Oh…" I choked on emotion, once again glaring at Emmett. This time, I felt so damn betrayed. "You knew," I whimpered. And my screaming returned tenfold. "YOU KNEW SHE WAS THERE!" The blazing hot fury rose up inside me so quickly that I only vaguely registered the fact that I was launching at my own brother. I kicked him, slapped him, pounded my fists on his chest, scratched his face…

I screamed, feeling my knees cave.

My breakdown was total.

In the midst of my struggles, I saw the tears in Emmett's eyes.

He squeezed me to him.

I thrashed.

I trembled.

I kinda understood.

He'd wanted a reaction out of me; he fucking got it.

I _needed_ this breakdown. I needed to let all this out.

When my grasp on reality began to disappear, he carried me up to my room.

I collapsed.

Nightmares haunted me.

Emmett stayed, though.

Every time I woke up screaming, he was there.

*o*o*o*

When I woke up again, I had no idea what time it was. My mouth was dry, I was starving, and my eyes stung. I sat up slowly and looked around me. The memory of last night came rushing back, and I curled myself into a ball, expecting the tears to come any minute. But they didn't. I waited for them, but they never came. _Because Emmett's attempt to help me had worked. _So much steam and frustration had been vented both verbally and physically.

_Maybe Esme and Emmett can open a practice together._

As I thought about everything I had screamed last night, I understood how stupid I had been. Well, partly. I was still scared shitless of failing as a mother, but I doubted I was the only mother who thought that. And another thing was certain…

I wasn't alone.

I had my little Haley. And she loved me. She knew I was her mommy. She was my giggle monster.

I had Emmett, too. Like always.

And Aunt Marie.

Esme and Carlisle.

Now…now I was about to find out whether or not I had Rose, as well.

After a long and hot shower, I got dressed for comfort. A pair of baby blue PJ shorts and one of Emmett's black t-shirts. My hair ended up in a loose bun, and then I walked downstairs.

Before I entered the living room, I heard both Emmett and Rose playing with Haley.

I rounder the corner and saw the three of them watching _Finding Nemo_.

"Aren't you supposed to be in school?" I croaked. _No surprise_. I was hoarse as hell after all that screaming.

Emmett and Rose both turned to face me.

"You okay, sis?"

I nodded, not really daring to look at Rose. "Yeah. I am. Thank you for everything last night. You pushed the right buttons."

"Any time, Bella," he said softly.

"Ma-maaaa!" Haley giggled.

And that right there made my day, even though I was already okay.

I smiled and sat down on the floor. "Hey, baby girl," I whispered. She gave me a toothy smile, bouncing on her butt. She couldn't walk yet, but she could stand and crawl. "Come to Mommy." I held out my arms.

Emmett sat her down on the floor, and my little one didn't waste any time crawling over.

"When are you going to say Uncle Em, huh?" he muttered.

We melted together instantly, Haley and me. Two pieces of a puzzle.

After kissing my girl's cute little face for a few minutes, I had gathered enough courage to look up at Rose, who was sitting next to Emmett on the couch.

"Are you okay?" I asked her.

Her eyes widened, and she almost choked on saliva or something. "Jesus effing Christ, Bella!"

I frowned, confused. "What?"

"Don't ask me how I'm doing," she huffed. "How are _you_? Tell me if you want some private time. I can leave."

I couldn't help but chuckle. "I'm fine, Rose. And stay as long as you like."

"Anything I can do for you?" she asked.

I looked at Emmett. "Do we have any food? I could eat a horse."

"How about we order pizza?"

I grinned and nodded eagerly.

Emmett went to order us pizza, which left me with Rose.

"Tell me how to make this comfortable for you," Rose said softly.

I breathed in the scent of Haley a few times and then started. "Apart from my hysterics, how much do you know?"

She hesitated for a second, but then… "Emmett told me everything this morning. I hope that's okay."

Focusing on Haley, I let that settle. Emmett didn't really have the right to do that, but I was too tired to argue with him. Plus, I had a feeling it was for the best.

"Saves me the trouble of telling you," I eventually said quietly, still watching Haley on my lap. "Um, just…don't tiptoe around me, I guess. I really am fine." I blew out a breath and looked up again. "I just need to vent from time to time. And yesterday, Emmett helped me a lot. I talk to my therapist, too, but…" Well, my brother worked better.

"No tiptoeing." She nodded, her expression one of understanding. "Well, I'm here for you—just so you know. I won't tell anyone, obviously."

I nodded, too, and smiled. "Thanks, Rose."

Coming down to sit on the floor, she enveloped both me and Haley in a hug. I hugged her back, my smile widening, but when she pulled back, I frowned when I saw tears in her eyes.

I was about to ask how she was, but she wouldn't have it.

"Don't!" she said sternly and wiped her tears. "I'm fine, B. It's a lot to take in, but I'm just concerned about you. I promise I won't tiptoe around you, like I said. But I have to get this shit off my chest. From now on, you will have to deal with the fact that I will be here to help you. You are seventeen years old and you have the most beautiful little daughter, but that doesn't mean that this shit isn't royally ffff-ked up!"

"Nice save," I giggled.

"Thanks." She flipped her hair over her shoulder and grinned. "Anyway. Your situation _here_ might be wonderful. I've only met Haley one single time. Today. And I hate kids, B. That is, until I met your little thing. Shit, she's gorgeous. Effing shit—crap, I mean. I'm rambling. What I'm saying is…I won't tiptoe, _but_ I will not pretend like this hasn't happened to you and Emmett. I will be here because I want to. But I'm also here because you shouldn't go through this alone. Just deal with it. Okay?"

_Wow._

I grinned and shook my head in wonder. "Holy crap, Rose. If Emmett doesn't end up marrying you. I just might do it myself. I understand. And thank you."

"Good." She beamed. "One more hug, and then we're gonna discuss a lighter subject—a certain Alice called me when you were asleep, and a date was mentioned." She arched a brow, looking like she was about to hear the best gossip ever.

I winced and hugged her quickly. "I wouldn't call that a lighter subject," I muttered. Okay, it was lighter—there wasn't even a comparison—but this particular topic still left me glum.

"Why not?" she asked curiously. "Don't tell me I've cooked up all that sexual tension between you two in my noggin'."

My eyebrows shot up in surprise; my chuckle was awkward and strained.

"Tell me," she said softly.

I sighed. "He asked me out—I declined. Nothing else to say."

"Nothing else to say about what?" That was Emmett, entering the living room with a large pizza box.

I waved him off and stood up to have a seat on the couch instead. Haley got distracted by the stuffed animals littering the couch, which meant I could sit back and enjoy my pizza.

"Just so you know," Rose whispered and leaned toward me, "Edward doesn't date." My brows knitted together. "At all." Pointed look. "So, I think it's safe to say he really likes you if he asked you out."

"Huh…" I didn't know what to say.

"I'm ignoring you two," Emmett declared.

We didn't care.

"So, how do you feel about him?" Rose eyed me.

I started fidgeting. "Um…I like him…a lot. I don't know _why_—we don't really know each other. It's just like there's something…between us." I looked down. "In a weird way. I don't know, and I don't know that he feels the same. Doesn't really matter, though. I can't date."

When I hadn't heard a response from Rose in a moment or two, I cautiously glanced up at her, only to find her staring pensively at me.

She had almost the same contemplative expression my brother sported sometimes.

Then she suddenly grinned. "I know what we can do."

For some reason, I heard warning bells.

"I smell trouble." Evidently, Emmett heard them, too.

"Oh, shut it, you." Rose waved him off. "All right—I think we should have a party." Emmett and I were _so_ ready to protest, but Rose literally shushed us. "_Listen_ to me first—_before_ you go mental." I gave her an impatient look but clamped my mouth shut. She was nuts; I was sure of it. "You can lock the door to Haley's room, you know," she pointed out. "And even if people saw baby stuff here, everyone knows you have a sister. Plus, don't tell me your aunt will say no to you." She dared us to defy her with her eyes. "From what you've told me about her, Emmett, she wants you to be kids, too. Am I wrong?"

Emmett didn't reply, but he didn't look happy, either.

"Look, guys…" Rose sighed. "You need this. One night of carefree fun. We're only eighteen years old—well, you're seventeen, Bella. And if you think of it, this could be your baby step in the right direction. For instance, both Alice and Cullen are dying to be your friends, too. So, if you give a little, maybe they will back off. Like, with the questions."

I chewed on my lip, my gaze landing on Emmett.

He gazed back, just as hesitant and wary as I was, but he was considering it, and so was I.

His eyes were asking what I thought.

I shrugged a little, a part of me wanting to squash down the big yes I wanted to shout out.

But the thought of being young for a night…

"Maybe Rose is right," I whispered, clearing my throat.

"Well, of course I am," Rose scoffed.

Emmett gave her a small smile before he turned to me again. "Um…yeah. Okay. Sure."

*o*o*o*

We spent the remainder of that day planning the party—who to invite, what to buy, how to tell people, what music to play… And Rose bluntly told me that I should be the one who invited Edward.

It was just the two of us in the living room at this point; Emmett was upstairs giving Haley a bath before she went to bed, so I laid all my cards on the table.

"I can't date him, Rose," I said, which I'd already told her earlier. "I like him—I really do, but I'm not ready to start a relationship. Especially not one where I can't be honest about myself."

"I get that." She nodded thoughtfully. "Can I ask you something?"

I waved a hand in go-ahead.

"How are you with, um…" She flinched. "You know, sex stuff?"

"Oh," I mouthed. Looking down at my lap, I gathered my thoughts and ignored my racing heart. After countless hours of therapy, I felt more at ease than I would've if we'd had this conversation months ago. Since I'd been out cold during the most horrific events of that night, I couldn't say the topic of sex brought me trauma, for which I was relieved.

"You don't have to answer," she said quickly, remorse in her voice.

"No, it's okay," I say truthfully. "Uh, you know I don't remember…" I didn't have to elaborate; she nodded. "Yeah, so… "

Rose looked uncomfortable. "Were you a, you know, virgin before?"

"Oh," I chuckled a little. "Um, no." And that was something I thought was a good thing in retrospect. Back then…no, losing your virginity at the age of fifteen was too early, but at least it'd been with my boyfriend at the time, and we had been together for two years. Plus, it ensured that my first sexual experience wasn't the night Haley was conceived. And I told Rose all this.

"Okay, that's good." She looked relieved. "So…" Now her expression turned hopeful. "This whole Edward thing…it's the events of your past holding you back—no painful, actual, memories that have anything to do with sex."

"That about sums it up." I nodded, wondering where she was going with this.

"Right…" She was stalling. Until she just blurted it out. "What about just starting something casual with Edward?"

My brows furrowed, and I slowly shook my head no. "I couldn't do that to him, Rose." Or to myself, for that matter. "It'd be like playing with fire—our feelings, and…someone would just end up hurt."

"Or it'd give you a chance to act out this crush." She shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe that's all it is. A high school crush. And if it doesn't lead anywhere, there's no reason for you to even worry about telling him the truth, 'cause he won't be there in the future."

I gave her a dubious look at that. For Christ's sake, I was already half in love with Edward Cullen; getting to know him for real would seal the deal. I had no doubts about that. And the thought of not having Edward in my future—at all—kinda made my chest ache. Not a good sign if you want "casual", in my opinion. Then again…if we both agreed to it—just to see where it took us…

No strings attached.

No talking about my past.

No questions.

Just fun.

If it sounded too good to be true, it probably was.

Maybe I could stand having my own heart broken, but if I hurt Edward…

"I don't know, Rose." I grimaced.

"It was just a suggestion." She shrugged again. "You know? You could just call him and ask. I mean, it's obvious you're both attracted to each other. And like I said, you need to have some fun—be a teenager."

"I don't want to have fun at anyone else's expense," I pointed out. "But…" I bobbed my head slowly, thinking. "I _could_ talk to him." For all I knew, Edward was interested in dating me, but what teenager planned further than that?

Maybe this could work out…?

As long as I only jeopardized my own feelings.

Which meant I had to be upfront about my intentions.

_Casual._

"I'll think about it," I muttered. "But right now, I gotta ask him about the party."

*o*o*o*

Taking the coward's way out, I chose to text Edward.

The condo was quiet, and I snuggled under my covers, taking calming breaths.

_Here it goes…_

**Hey! We're having a party on Friday at our place :P U wanna come? –Bella **

I only had to wait a minute for his reply, and I was relieved he wasn't already asleep.

**At your house? Really? –Edward **

**Yes. Our aunt is looking after Haley. We need a night of fun. –Bella **

Plus, it would be right after the division championships, which was held here in Port Angeles since there was a bigger stadium here. The regular season had already ended, but unfortunately I hadn't been able to attend many games.

**Who's coming? –Edward **

"At least it wasn't a no," I mumbled to myself.

**Idk. Like 15 ppl. Em will invite tomorrow at school –Bella **

I waited, a nervous mess.

Rolling onto my stomach, I stared down at the screen, willing his text to pop up.

That he was even speaking to me after I shot him down was a victory on its own.

Finally, his reply came.

**Now you've got me all curious, Bella. Why didn't you just wait until Emmett invited me? –Edward **

_Fuck, fuck, fuck._

I cringed, not wanting to answer that, but I knew I had to. There were already too many things I couldn't be honest about; this wasn't one of those.

**I wanted to invite u. –Bella **

Simple, and it was the truth.

**I don't need a pity invite. Thanks, but no thanks. –Edward **

"No!" I facepalmed and felt terrible. Faster than before, my fingers flew over the letters.

**Pity's got nothing 2 do with it. I wanted to invite u. I want u to come. Honest. Please? –Bella.**

If I were mature, I'd call him. That had to be better than texting, but I was still a coward.

**Why, Bella? –Edward **

I groaned and flopped onto my back. I was frustrated, but at myself. Sure, he was persistent, though who could blame him? Obviously he wondered where my sudden interest stemmed from.

"Fuck it." I decided to go with the next truth.

**Because I like u, Edward. Okay? I just can't date. That doesn't mean I don't want 2. I know it doesn't make sense, but I can't explain. I'm sorry about that. –Bella**

My eyes were closed as I sent it.

And then I waited.

And waited…

Had I gone too far?

After ten minutes, I checked to made sure I had reception and that my text had gone through; I did and it had.

But his text never came, because after another few minutes, my phone flashed with an incoming call.

_Caller ID: Edward Cullen_


	6. Chapter 6

Beta'd by Lisa and pre-read by Kitty :)

* * *

Chapter 6

**EPOV**

Even though I was in the middle of class, I pulled out my phone when it vibrated.

I grinned to myself when I saw it was Bella.

**Homeschooling isn't fun. The imaginary person next to me won't respond to my note. –Bella **

Unable to help myself, I cracked up pretty hard, which earned me a glare from the teacher.

"Something you'd like to share with the class, Mr. Cullen?" he asked sternly.

"Uh, no." I cleared my throat, covering my mouth with my fist. 'Cause I still wanted to laugh. "Sorry about that, sir."

Looking down, I typed in a quick response.

**Ha! Guess what? My teacher, who is NOT imaginary, doesn't respond well to your texts. Quit getting me into trouble, Ms. McCarty! –Edward **

Or she could continue…

Honestly, she could. As long as I could have her in my life.

Which I now had, after our talk on the phone last night.

Casual—fucking _hated_ that word. But if it was what she could offer, I was going to take it with a smile. And I had. The conversation had started off all awkward, but then Bella had begun to ramble. For reasons she couldn't explain, a relationship was not possible for her. But she still liked me—_wanted_ me. Through stammering and breaths of frustration, she made it very clear that she would've said yes to go out on a date with me…had the world only been perfect.

So, I lied and told her "casual" worked perfectly for me.

But if it could help me convince her—buy me time—maybe I'd have all of her one day.

A guy had to try.

Admittedly, I had no fucking idea what this casual _whatever_ meant, but I was going along with it.

Right now, Thursday couldn't come fast enough. It was only Tuesday, and Bella's schedule on Wednesdays didn't work in my favor, so to speak, so…Thursdays were the only days I'd see her in school. Oh, and this Friday. Yeah, party at the McCartys'. I was still kinda shocked about that one, seeing as Emmett and Bella had been so damn evasive and secretive up until… Well, they were still all that, but hosting a party after the game? Definitely new.

Bella's next text brought me outta my musings.

**U didn't have to read it during class! ;) So…what'cha doing? –Bella **

I chuckled under my breath.

**History class. It sucks. Lunch is next. What about you? –Edward **

**I'm doing my Spanish paper and watching Golden Girls reruns. I love Sophia. LOL –Bella **

"Who're you texting, Cullen?" Stanley whispered, sitting next to me.

I rolled my eyes, not even looking up from my phone. I did turn slightly away from her, though.

**My mother loved that show. Btw, what's the plan on Friday? Do we all just drive over to you and Em after the game? –Edward **

"Mr. Cullen!"

Shit. My head snapped up. "Yeah?" Fuck me, everyone was watching me.

He gave me an impatient look. "I asked you if you know when they stormed the Bastille in France."

Puffing out my cheeks, I quickly scrambled for an answer. I knew this. I had fucking studied it, dammit. July, something…a long time ago. Um. It was the same date as France's Independence Day. "Uh…" I rubbed the back of my neck, ignoring my phone as it flashed with another text. "July, uh…"

"Yes?" he pressed, hands on his hips.

I snapped my fingers when the answer finally came to me. "July 14th!"

A few of my teammates snickered.

"Year?"

"1789." _Phew_.

He nodded curtly. "Pay attention from now on."

I slouched back in my seat.

Then I read Bella's text.

**Sounds about right. And I can't wait to see u on that field ;) U r gonna win, right? –Bella **

I swallowed, suddenly very anxious for Friday, too.

**Of course we'll win. And then celebration afterward ;) –Edward **

_If she can send smileys, then so can I, goddammit. _

**I hope there will be a private celebration 4 u and me. –Bella **

"Oh, fuck," I whispered under my breath.

Safe to say, Bella was officially fucking flirting.

**You bet, Bella. –Edward **

*o*o*o*

"You're lookin' happy, dude," Whitlock drawled as he dumped his lunch tray next to mine and sat down. I tucked away my phone. "There's a smile on your face and everything."

"Oh, I apologize," I deadpanned and wiped the smile off my face. "Is this better?"

He smirked. "Yeah, there's the Cullen I know."

"Fuck you," I laughed through my nose. He said something back, but I didn't pay attention. That phone of mine wouldn't stop giving me Bella's texts, and my fingers wouldn't stop sending back replies. Weird, huh?

**Damn, lasagna sounds so good. I bought a questionable sandwich ten minutes ago. It says chicken, but it smells like tuna. Not a great sign, is it? –Edward **

As always, Bella responded quickly.

**Heed my warning. Step away from the sandwich, Cullen. Step. Away. In other news, I just finished my paper. Gonna celebrate with ice cream. Blueberry for me and vanilla for Haley. –Bella **

I couldn't help but smile at that. Mom had given Haley some ice cream during the art thing in Seattle, and that little girl was fucking hilarious when she had ice cream. First she'd wave her hands and grimace a whole lot from the cold, then she would bounce in her seat, make yummy noises, and reach and whine for more.

**I'm jealous. You're fucking mean. I want ice cream, too. –Edward **

"Earth to Cullen!"

"Jesus!" I hissed as my head snapped up. Oh, suddenly the whole table was full of people. "Um, what's up?"

Emmett, Tyler, Mike, Jasper, Seth, Ben, Alice, Rose…they were all staring at me.

But Bella sent a text, so I looked down again.

**Would you use me as your bowl? –Bella **

"Fuck me!" I exclaimed, my fingers fumbling so much that I nearly dropped the phone. Shit, I was fucking shocked here. And I sure as hell hadn't expected this level of…flirty…ness? Or rather, straightforwardness. But Christ, was it hot. Like any seventeen-year-old guy's fantasy, really. I hadn't gotten laid in ages either, so that didn't help the matter.

"God, _what_?" My sister was frustrated; I didn't give a shit. Plus, I didn't wanna think about her when my jeans were getting uncomfortable.

As I was typing in my reply, Bella's next one popped up.

**Sorry. I went too far, didn't I? SO sorry. –Bella**

"No, no," I mumbled to myself and typed. _Definitely not too far_.

**No. You'd be the spoon. And, baby? Don't hold back on my account. I mean that. –Edward **

I went back and forth about the "baby", but in the end I just sent it.

And her response was… **Phew! ;) –Bella **

*o*o*o*

On Wednesday, I had hoped to at least catch a glimpse of Bella in school, but that didn't happen. So, when I got home after practice, I dumped my bags in the hallway before I went up to my room.

It'd been two days of flirting with Bella through texts, and she didn't mince her fucking words, lemme tell ya that.

I was hungry as fuck, as I always was after practice, but I was too wired to sit down with my family right now. So, I ended up on my bed mindlessly tossing a baseball between my hands as I tried to figure out more about Bella. Not that I ever succeeded. And…truth be told, with these past couple of days' events, I wasn't in that much of a hurry anymore. Granted, I still wanted more—all of it—but I was man…or guy enough…to admit that right now, I just wanted…

Damn, I wanted to kiss her. Touch her. Have her touch me.

_Fuck her._

And judging by those texts, she wasn't very innocent. I doubted she was a virgin, anyway.

I groaned under my breath, feeling my cock stir. I was only wearing a pair of Spartan sweats—and a t-shirt—so when I reached down, only a thin layer of soft cotton separated my hand from my dick.

I'd lost count of the times I jacked off to thoughts about Bella McCarty.

It was a little weird, though. 'Cause the last time I saw her face-to-face, she was hours away from shooting me down. And now we were…playing with fire. In a way, I was nervous it'd all change and become awkward when we saw each other tomorrow.

Dropping the baseball next to me on the bed, I pulled out my phone, like I'd done countless times over these two days.

My thumb hovered over the letters…

So far, I had let Bella take the lead, but maybe it was time I pushed, too?

"Fuck it," I muttered, sending off a message.

**I can't stop thinking about ice cream nowadays. Strange, huh? –Edward **

The screen was still lit up when she texted back.

**Ooh, Cullen. This isn't the best conversation 2 have this close 2 bedtime, now is it? ;) –Bella **

I chuckled and glanced at the clock radio on my nightstand. It was only a little after nine, but I knew she'd taken care of Haley all day. Her aunt was in Seattle, so… Thinking about it, Bella watched Haley a _lot_.

**And why's that? Do tell. –Edward **

**Well, I'm already in bed, and thinking about a certain hot guy… Do the math! –Bella **

Christ, she was in bed right now?

_And I better be that hot guy._

Half-wondering and half-teasing, I knew exactly what to write. Okay, to be fair, it was probably eighty percent wondering and twenty teasing.

**So, what are you wearing? –Edward **

Right after that, I sent,

**You can't see me, but I'm waggling my eyebrows. –Edward **

I hissed and palmed my cock when I read her reply.

**I'm ignoring ur humor, and I'm wearing a white cotton top and a black cotton thong. Gotta have cotton 2 sleep! What about u, Cullen? ;) –Bella **

Okay, it was time to lock the door. Regardless of how far I went with Bella right now, I was still getting off at some point soon. That was for sure. Leaving the bed, I kicked off my sweats, locked the door, pulled off my t-shirt, and then settled under the covers.

**I'm not wearing anything. Just got under the covers. –Edward **

As I waited, I stroked my cock lazily, pretty gently, not wanting to get carried away. Being a teenager, "getting carried away" wasn't difficult.

**Edward, u're making me wet here :( –Bella **

"Damn," I groaned quietly.

_Are we really doing this?_

What came next wasn't a text; it was a fucking photo.

I nearly shot right outta the bed.

"What the hell is she doing to me?" I whispered, eyes on the small photo. It was clear, but it was kinda dark. Still, I could make out her hand resting on her lower abdomen, fingers just barely slipped under the thin waistband of her thong.

She was teasing me with one of the most provocative things I'd ever seen.

Without making a conscious decision, I called her.

_"Um, hi."_ She sounded both nervous and out of breath.

"Hey," I said quietly, a bit huskily. "That picture…" I chuckled at the situation and stared up at the ceiling. "You're driving me insane—you know that, right?"

_"Oh, yeah?"_ There was a smile in her voice now. _"Well, around you I just can't seem to help myself."_

I groaned under my breath, allowing my hand to grip the base of my cock again.

"You're teasing me," I accused, amusement lacing my voice. And lust.

It felt like I was on a rollercoaster ride and that Bella was in charge. A part of me said it was time to step off and reevaluate, think things through, and maybe question Bella why she went forward so quickly. But I wasn't mature enough to do that. I wanted her too fucking bad.

_"I intend to follow through, you know,"_ she whispered seductively.

"Baby, touch yourself," I said quickly, gruffly, almost pleadingly. "I wanna hear you."

_"Fuck,"_ she breathed out. I heard her swallow. _"Are you touching yourself?"_

"Yes." I was blunt. My covers had been pushed to the side, and I was watching my hand working over my dick. "You don't know how fucking hard I am."

_"Oh, God,"_ she whimpered. Her breathing was speeding up, and I could hear fabric rustling in the background.

"Tell me what you're doing, baby," I whispered and tightened my grip on my cock. I'd only been with two girls, and one of them had been a drunken one-nighter after a game in Tacoma. So, there was only one girl I'd been with long enough to learn a bit more about a girl feeling good. So, I fucking hoped I could bring _some_ pleasure to Bella. "Are you touching your pussy?"

She let out a little whine, and for some reason I imagined her throwing her head back against her pillows and arching her back. _"Yeees…yes, Edward, I'm—oh fuck."_

I moaned, feeling my abs tense. A rush of heat coursed through me, causing me to shiver and erupt in goose bumps. I stroked myself faster and harder, only pausing to cup and tug on my balls. "How many fingers are you using, Bella?" Looking down at my cock, I wondered how many fingers it'd be to match my size.

_"One finger—on my clit,"_ she moaned. _"I'm so wet, Edward."_

I panted and squeezed my eyes shut. Jesus, I was already close here.

"Push in two," I gritted out. "Two fingers inside your pussy."

I heard her moans and gasps.

Her curses.

"Now three," I grunted.

She swallowed audibly, followed by a shaky exhale. _"Oh, Edward…"_

In desperate need of something better, something slicker, I told Bella to keep those fingers pumping while I went for the lotion on my nightstand. It was a fucking necessity.

Since I only had one hand at my disposal, I poured a good amount of lotion directly onto my cock, causing me to hiss at the cold. But apparently that was a sound Bella liked, 'cause she moaned my name.

A pretty loud groan erupted from me as I wrapped my fingers around my dick again, this time with more ease due to the lotion. Eyes closed, I tried to imagine how it would feel to sink into Bella's pussy—how wet she'd be, how tight, how hot.

"Baby," I moaned.

I sped up.

She gasped. _"I'm—I'm close."_

Hearing that, knowing that she was about to actually come…

I sucked in a sharp breath through clenched teeth, more heat and pleasure crashing down on me. "Me too," I managed to grit out. More than before, my eyes were screwed shut, and it felt like each muscle in my body was rigid.

When she cried out, all breathy and hot, I moaned her name, pumped my cock fast, and started coming. Several streams of cum came down on my hand, my abs, and my balls.

My ears were fucking ringing.

It kinda surprised me that I hadn't dropped the damn phone.

_"I'm like…mush,"_ she panted. _"Damn."_

I chuckled, completely outta breath, and looked down at the mess I'd made.

Grimacing, I reached over and swiped a couple tissues.

Girls had it so easy.

_"Are you still there?"_ she asked tentatively, still breathing heavily.

I nodded like a fool—as if she could see me—and wiped my abs. "I'm here." I swallowed. "Just…catching my breath."

_"Oh. Good. Um…"_ Now she seemed nervous, and I didn't like that one little bit. _"This—this isn't gonna get awkward tomorrow, is it?"_

After throwing away the tissues, I collapsed back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. "I hope not," I said quietly, honestly, and rubbed my eyes. "Tell you what—how about I save you a seat at lunch? I wanna…" I blew out a breath. "I don't want the whole table between us anymore."

_"Yeah?"_ Finally, I heard a smile in her voice.

It made me relax. "Yeah."

_"Okay,"_ she giggled. _"I want that, too."_

I smiled widely to myself—just because of that sound.

Fuck me. I was falling in love with her.

**BPOV**

When I finally arrived at school on Thursday, I had a serious case of butterflies in my belly.

My eyes scanned the parking lot, which was packed with students, and I tried to locate a silver Volvo, but mainly its owner.

At last, I saw him near the main building talking to Jasper.

He had his back to me, so when Jasper spotted me, I motioned for him not to give me away.

Jasper struggled to hide a smirk.

I grinned and snuck up behind Edward. Pressing my chest to his back, I felt how he went completely stiff. Since I was so short, it was all but impossible for me to reach, but I managed to get a little close to his ear, and then I whispered, "Thanks for last night, Edward." I felt his shudder, and before I backed away, I added, "Oh, and the very, um, _pleasurable_ dreams that followed."

With that, I walked off quickly.

That oughta help with the prevention of awkwardness, right?

"_Fuck_," I heard him hiss right before I entered the building.

The grin on my face was still there when I reached my classroom, and the second I spotted Alice standing outside, it only widened.

I had done some major soul-searching this week, and I'd finally come to an agreement with myself: Alice and Edward Cullen were amazing people, and I knew I could trust them. Therefore, my plan was to come clean. Granted, I needed time to prepare myself. I was still a seventeen-year-old girl, and I wasn't the most secure person on the planet, so yeah, I sure as hell needed time. But it felt really good to have come to this conclusion.

It was a step in the right direction.

"Hey!" Alice hooked her arm with mine. "You know, I just saw you outside." She arched a brow. "You looked awfully chummy with my brother."

"Oh," I giggled. "I have no idea what you're talking about." I batted my lashes as we walked into the classroom.

"What?!" a voice shrieked behind us.

Alice and I turned around to find a girl standing there, disbelief and fury written all over her features.

"Jesus," Alice muttered, rolling her eyes. "What do you want, Jessica?"

The Jessica girl put her hands on her hips and tried to pull off the oh-no-you-didn't look.

She failed.

"I would like to hear the new chick's answer to your question. That's what," she snapped.

My eyebrows shot up.

"Excuse you?" I folded my arms over my chest. "How is that any of your business?"

She glared at me. "Just tell me."

"Just _make_ me," I shot back dryly, kinda daringly.

But she didn't make a damn move, so I just jutted my chin, smirked at her, and left her there. The class was about to begin anyway, and I had better things to do than bitching with some skank who obviously had some crush on Cullen.

Sitting down in my seat, I pulled my hair back in a ponytail and waited for Alice to join me.

She did, with an expression of wonder. "That—" she plopped down next to me "—was fucking priceless."

I scrunched my nose. "How was that priceless?"

She shook her head slowly and leaned back in her seat. "You wouldn't understand, but… Let's just say that very few people around here stand up to Stanley and the rest of the Skank Pack."

I snorted a laugh as the teacher—a substitute, actually—scribbled something on the board. "Skank Pack—that's funny."

"Skank Pack, Bitch Quartet…" She shrugged. "Take your pick."

"So, there're four of them?"

In my periphery, I saw her nod. "Jessica, Lauren, Jane, and Bree. Ooh, we're gonna make cupcakes." She pointed to the board.

Banana cupcakes with vanilla frosting, to be exact, which was how we came to spend the next hour laughing our asses off. 'Cause, as it turned out, the sub teacher basically only sat on her ass. So, the students, Alice and myself included, did what any teenager without supervision would do.

We messed around.

One guy ended up with eggs in his face. Another got covered in flour.

Alice and I goofed around with the bananas and tried to deep-throat them.

Safe to say, we weren't very good at it.

Our eyes watered as we gagged, mainly because of the bananas touching our throats, but also because we couldn't stop cracking up.

"Oh, my God, I made it!" I exclaimed at one point. But then I coughed and spluttered. "Shit." I rubbed my chest.

Alice wiped under her eyes and giggled. "I can't swallow around it."

At the end of that class, we walked away with the sorriest excuses for banana cupcakes in history.

While I'd only been here for one class, Alice had already had a Lit class earlier that morning, so it was time for lunch now, and we headed toward the cafeteria together. It gave me time to hand her the letter I'd written to her. It was another part of my plan to open up to the Cullens.

"This is for you." I held it out—the envelope—and she looked at it curiously. "Um, it's nothing big." I was suddenly nervous. "I just think I owe you an explanation for all the secrecy." I swallowed; down the hall, I could see the doors to the cafeteria. "Just read it, okay?"

"Sure," she murmured, frowning. "But you don't _owe_ me anything-"

"It's really nothing," I rushed out. Truth be told, it wasn't. In the letter, I just explained that something bad had happened in our family, and we were still struggling with everything. We needed time. Emmett and I needed to take things slowly, but mostly me. "I want to let you in," I said softly.

She gave me a small but grateful smile. "Anything, Bella. Thank you." She took the letter and slipped it into her book. "I won't push—I promise."

My shoulders dropped, a weight lifting off them.

_Baby steps._

"Okay—" she grinned a little "—let's present our cupcakes to our boys."

I couldn't help but laugh. _Our boys_. Jasper may be hers, but Edward wasn't exactly mine. Hopefully in the future, though. I was gonna do my best not to fuck this up.

Since we hadn't been to our lockers yet, we decided to drop off our books at the table before we went to get food, so we walked over to the corner table where Edward, Jasper, Emmett, Rose, Tyler, and Seth were already sitting.

I smiled when I saw that Edward had placed his bag on the chair next to him.

"Hey, guys!" Alice danced over—always the drama chick—and plopped down in Jasper's lap. He was seated next to Edward.

"Hey," Edward said quietly, looking up at me. There was a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth, and he quickly removed his bag so I could sit. "What's that?" He nodded at the bag of pretty smashed and abused cupcakes that I dumped on the table.

I scooted in my chair, about to answer, but Alice beat me to it.

"That's Forks' finest fuckin' treats," she declared cockily. "Aren't they pretty?" She eyed Jasper with an expectant look.

Jasper squirmed, making me giggle, as he studied the butchered cakes. He didn't want to lie, but he was totally going to. "Uh, they're really, really…."

"Hideous," Edward stated flatly.

I laughed and punched his arm, to which he grinned and draped said arm across the back of my chair.

Those butterflies returned with vengeance, and it didn't get easier when I watched him take a sip from his water. Drinking was suddenly the sexiest thing I'd ever seen him do.

"Hey!" Alice pretended to look offended. "We worked hard of those! I mean, how many bananas did we deep-throat to get them done, Bella?"

My eyes bugged out.

Edward and Jasper spewed out water all over the table.

Emmett, who had been wrapped up in Rose, shouted, "What the fuck?!"

Alice giggled. "Oops."


End file.
